


Pact

by MinaMauveine



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Elves, F/F, Faberittana, Fae & Fairies, Femslash, Mythology - Freeform, Polyamory, Shifters, Vampyres, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-14
Updated: 2013-03-02
Packaged: 2017-11-21 02:17:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 36,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/592341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinaMauveine/pseuds/MinaMauveine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rachel stumbles into the underworld hidden beneath Lima’s dull exterior when the slumbering genotypes in her DNA finally awaken and exert themselves. Thankfully her mates will help her navigate through the more dangerous paths she has to encounter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Awakening

It really wasn’t her fault no one ever thought to inform her when class was not in session. Well, more like the entire student body had decided to mass skip in favour of getting an early start on the long weekend. 

Rachel huffed as she sat down in her seat. Center of the front row, of course.  
Better to just focus and start on her algebra homework since the teacher was also late. Glancing around the room she noted how pathetically low a rung she occupied on the school’s social ladder. Even Jacob Israel had apparently gotten the notice to skip last period French. 

In reality Jacob had unintentionally thrown up on a puckhead earlier this morning due to his unfortunate lactose intolerancy. The boy had spent the rest of the day hiding out in various lockers and trashcans to avoid an obviously brutal and ominous beating. 

“Rachel, good to see some students care about their education.” The teacher commented morosely as he inched into the room. 

Even though he had monotone his assessment of the classroom in a rather tired way it didn’t hinder Rachel’s enthusiasm. “Naturally Mr. Lake, now if you would be so kind as to continuing with last day’s lesson.” Rachel moved to put away her math book. “I believe we were about to start the conjugation of-”

“Ms. Berry.” The fifty something year old teacher rubbed his weary eyes and gave the singer a light squeeze on the shoulder, causing the wanted pause in Rachel’s rant. “How about you and me have an early start on the weekend as well?”

“Never!” Rachel shot her eyes disapprovingly up at the aging male. “The lack of responsibility on my classmate’s part will not hinder my personal education in the arts, I believe French will come to much use when I am in Paris.” 

Mr. Lake scrunched up his brow; in all honestly, he just wanted to head home and call it a day with a glass of cheap scotch. “You know what, I would love for you to go and bring Quinn her missed homework assignments.” 

“Normally, since I am a Samaritan of sorts, I would be happy to assist others, however-”

The teacher glanced down hopefully at his overzealous student. “Perfect!” Lake dashed to his desk at a much too eager pace and retrieved Quinn’s missed assignments and the girl’s USB left from last month’s group project. Thinking for a moment he snatched the misplaced marking key out of the pile before depositing the stack of papers before his student. He grinned as Rachel gaped. “Off you go!”

Before the singer could protest otherwise she had been unceremoniously escorted out of the room. 

“Mr. Lake, Quinn does not approve of my presence near her and I…” Rachel sighed when her teacher all but ran towards the parking lot. She began her track towards the general direction of Quinn’s home. Now that the baby fiasco has passed, Quinn had been shepherded back into her mother’s welcoming house and arms. Albeit missing her father, it has been agreed by current occupancies that the family had a much cheerier atmosphere. Rachel and Quinn had been friends for a couple weeks back in pre-school, until things … changed. The young starlet knocked on the perfect deep coffee coloured door and was preparing to drop everything into the first Fabray’s arms. Praying for a polite thank you and not much more.

What she hadn’t expected was to be greeted by a rather furious Santana. She thought all was still a mess with the cheerleading holy trinity but as current evidence seen, they seems like they have patched things up enough for Santana to be here for a sleep over. “I did not realize sleeping wear was appropriate for any time before nine in the evening.” Rachel offered conversationally.

“Ru Paul,” Santana glowered. “How many times do I have to tell you to leave us alone?”

“Pardon my intrusion.” Rachel motioned to the papers in her arms but paused when a delicious aroma filled her nostrils. “I…I have Quinn’s homework.” The shorter of the two decided to be curt in the dealings of one Santana Lopez but wondered why she scented such a heavy mix of columbine, pomegranate and heather flowers from the girl before her.

“What?” Santana sounds more frustrated than inquisitive. 

“Mr. Lake, our, meaning mine and Quinn’s language teacher instructed me to bring-”

“You’ve got to be fucking me, you couldn’t have done this on Monday?!” Santana all but growled at the petite girl. 

The Latina’s hair is down from her usual pony tail and is admittedly in a complete mess; Rachel noted that the released mane frames the abrasives girl’s face pleasantly. She would even confess that Santana was rather appealing, what with her cheeks blushed pink and her toffee hinted skin covered only in a white tank and dark boxers. Rachel felt her heart sped up and her own face gaining heat. An uncomfortable but bizarrely enticing hotness was growing in the pit of her stomach. She query what Santana’s skin would feel like against her warmed palms. The diva blinked, abruptly stopping her thoughts from further spiralling down into such lewd ideas.

“Smurf do you have any idea what you just interrupted-?” Santana seethed, her grip on the door handle made the polished metal whine. She took a breath and glared at Rachel. “When did you become a…”

There is surprise in the Latina’s tone and her gaze dipped dangerously towards predatory. “Stay the fuck off my territory.”

“I-” The diva’s answer is cut off when Brittany came bounding down the stairs clad only in an oversized t-shirt. Her movements appeared even more graceful than her normal already elegant dancer gait.

“Rachel, why didn’t you tell us you are a Shifter!” The blonde pounced forward and enveloped Rachel into a hug which made the singer drop the assignments in her hand. The papers scattered onto the floor forgotten.

When the Rachel looked up into Brittany’s eyes she saw complete blackness in her friend’s normally blue orbs. “Brittany!” Rachel coughed as the smell of heather floated into her. There had to be a logical explanation. “Are you wearing contacts?”

The blonde canted her head in confusion but before she could say another word Santana tore Brittany from Rachel’s loose hold. “They are mine!” Rachel’s eyes widened in shock as the Latina’s pupils morphed and devoured the naturally brown coloured irises into inky darness.

Rachel felt something in her twitch as pomegranate overpowered her senses, it wasn’t inviting like the heather had been, the smell was sharp and it was painful to inhale. Every breath the singer took was now saturated with fierce emotion. Resentment… protectiveness? Rachel felt her entire being heat up and vibrate. Something in her was twisting and pushing for her to recognize but she chose to ignore it. The feeling, she had once encountered when she was very young. It had led to Quinn and her separation when both the Fabray and Berry’s had to call up the police to look for their missing children.

Santana strived forward and pushed at Rachel’s startlingly unyielding frame. Both singer and cheerleader glanced up at each other with surprise. Rachel had never felt so strong. Santana’s shove had felt like a mere pat.

“I really meant no harm.” Rachel paused when anger frothed in her mind. “Take your hand off, now.”

Santana immediately retracted her hand when the burning smell of a plant she cannot determine hits her; she glared with horror at her appendage for obeying the brunette’s command. How’d…”

“Wow, Rachel, you smell divine, how have I never noticed?” Brittany sounded almost apologetic as she petted the shorter girl’s hair.

‘We’ve never detected her because she’s never felt her birth right take full hold.’ Rachel glanced up and searched in vain for Quinn’s disembodied voice. 

Santana was fuming now but doesn’t move to stop Rachel from languidly entering the house. The diva blinked in astonishment as the door at the top of the stairs swung open when Quinn strode out in all her naked glory.

“Go back.” Santana warned but still looped her arms around the blonde’s waist when Quinn cuddled against to her. Brittany closed the door behind Rachel and winked when she too joined the embrace.

“I heard you even when you were in your room?” Rachel’s tone was raw and needy when she took in an eyeful of Quinn’s matchless and refined beauty. 

The trio swiveled their glare toward Rachel. She was a stranger, not of their group though they were not yet a pack, nonetheless, had been connected since childhood and their joining had been forged long ago, an outsider like Rachel should not be able to hear their telepathic thoughts. 

It was obvious as day that Rachel was indeed a Shifter. The singer may not know it but her eyes have also taken the signature blacken shading of when a Shifter exhorts its strength. The starlet has unwittingly begun pouring her fragrance into the small corridor. The three wasn’t sure if Rachel was even aware of what she was doing to them. The petite brunette was compelling them to come to her and inhale the splendidly acute odour. 

“You are exquisitely rare Rachel.” Quinn’s voice was a lusty mist to Rachel. 

Rachel watched unblinkingly as Quinn untangled herself from Santana’s clutch. The singer gulped and attempted to move back out of the house only to bump into the hard mahogany door.

The Latina knew she couldn’t stop her beta turn alpha. Her and Quinn shared dominancy until either decided to complete rites of passage. However, at the moment Quinn will not submit to her commands for she wanted to follow Rachel’s lead and Santana herself cannot help but want to submit to Rachel’s will as well.

“So late to awaken.” Quinn murmured as she sauntered before Rachel and placed her hands on the shorter girl’s hips. “All those years, your beast has been leisurely growing, unheeded by the councils.” The head cheerleader dipped down and inhaled near Rachel’s nape. “Strangely your strength has been nurtured instead of diminished.” 

The starlet hands remained passively at her sides even as her body felt like it has been thrown into a furnace. She could feel sweat form and roll down her spine and something in her snapped when the aroma of columbine flowers completely encloses her. 

The diva shook her head as frost sets into her brain and splintered open something that had been sleeping. She rapidly blinked her eyes as her vision winked in and out of focus, the next flash left her in blinding light, and her scream ended only when the cool darkness flooded into the brightness of her surroundings. Before Rachel could tumble forward onto the shined marble floors three pair of arms encircled her limp frame.


	2. Of Drugs and Dreams

Title: Pact (2/?)  
Author: Mina Robins  
Fandom: Glee  
Pairing: Brittana/Faberry, Faberrittana. Polyamorous.  
Rating: T  
Summary: Rachel stumbles into the underworld hidden beneath Lima’s dull exterior when the slumbering genotypes in her DNA finally awaken and exert themselves. Thankfully her mates will help her navigate through the more dangerous paths she has to encounter.

……………………………………

Rachel awoke to the soft rustle of turning pages, the smell of parchment paper and ink mixed with the scent of something else. She knew that within the assorted aromas, some in particular belonged to her. It was the smell of florae which led her to wakefulness. The scents that were quickly becoming familiar were a bouquet of columbine, heather and pomegranate. 

The singer felt oh so very fatigued, every tendon, ligament and joint in her body was aching with misuse. She was not aware of it, but residue energy and heat tingled throughout her vessel. Even her normally analytical mind was feeling a little mute in coherent thought She nuzzled closer to the downy duvet covering Quinn’s bed and thought of sleeping for- ‘Holy!’ She’s in Quinn’s bed. When has a twin sized mattress had become so miniature? Rachel shifted awkwardly as her legs dangled off the end of the sweet smelling bed. 

She pushed her arms out in front of herself and proceeded to sit up; her chest rose and fell at a considerably speedy rate. Every breath she drew from the scent marked surroundings, caused an unnameable ache in her to throb. The longing both befuddled her and called for her at the same rhythmical pulse. If Rachel had been more promiscuous in her life she would have logically categorized the throb akin to lustful wanting, however, Rachel being the strongly dignified individual she is, had never been lascivious for sex. Of course she had dolled up at school, but it was more of a childish act for attention. 

Rachel had never felt the uncontrollable hunger for the feel of heated skin against skin. She doesn’t actually know of the yearning to do more than what she has been pressure into by Finn. Sloppy kisses and talentless fondling had never ignited anything within her. Before this moment the young brunette had never felt the initial stirrings of passion. 

Hanging on the desk chair was the Cheerios signature outfit and backpack. Quinn’s room was extensively neat and it pleased Rachel to know the gorgeous blonde seemed to appreciate tidiness as much as she did. There were other articles of wear littered throughout the room but Rachel could scent that they did not belong to Quinn. The environment swirled, blending into and out of focus once again. Rachel clamped her eyes close as her vision kaleidoscoped.

A thought filtered into Rachel’s mind and as terrifyingly primitive an idea it was, she also knew the idea to be true. The thought was fact. Everything here was hers. The diva tilted her head to the side and listened for the almost periodic sequenced sound of turning pages. She could pinpoint the exhaled breaths of her possessions, who were currently occupying the downstairs living room. 

There was a breeze of talking drifting into the bedroom. The distorted voices faded into whispers and then cycled up to a louder volume; it was almost as if the speakers were now directly beside her. She dared not open her eyes to test the theory.

“Did you see that, she shifted faster than anyone I’ve ever met!” That was definitely Brittany’s voice. The blonde tones were cheery and excited, her words overlapping one another in her exhilaration. Rachel felt oddly cheerful as well. 

“She’s extraordinary; the creature she has taken the form of isn’t even listed in the text.” Quinn’ patient tone was calming Rachel’s baffled mind and steadily rising libido. 

“That may be true but why is she showing herself now?” Santana voice was bordering petulant. “How did she not sense us before and more importantly how did we miss her?!”

It frustrated Rachel that the dialogue mingled back into a low susurration. As she turned to search for the owner of the voices she faced a creature in Quinn’s full body mirror. It startled her so intensely she jams her already sore back into the classic Ikea bed frame.

“Oourh!” The stallion sized beast’s jaw dropped open to display a gleaming row of teeth. ‘I am too young and talented to die.’ Rachel hadn’t noticed the mirror animal’s tense posture and matching position against Quinn’s bed frame. Her vision is beginning to sting less but the after-effects still dulled her thoughts.

The large wolf like creature’s amethyst orbs are hinted with specks of iridescent gold flecks, the outermost rims are lined with a distinct obsidian ring. Its shapely neck is decorated with velvet green markings, the jade tapered in colour and vividness throughout the animal’s dark chocolate fur. The shading and shape of the emerald chromo reminded Rachel of diminutive flames. She attempted to stand only to see the beast mirror her actions. The young diva licked her expectantly dry lips but doesn’t quite manage to pass her sharp canines. “Rrrrraargh?” 

‘Oh my god, oh my god, Oh my god, oh my god, Oh my god, oh my god, Oh my god, oh my god, Oh my god, oh my god, that cannot be me, Oh my god, oh my god, Oh my god, oh my god, Oh my god, oh my god, Oh my god, oh my god, Oh my god, oh my god, Oh my god, oh my god, Oh my god, oh my god, Oh my god, oh my god.’ 

“Well she’s awake.” Santana huffed and began her advance towards the flabbergasted Shifter. “Settle down, spazz.”

Quinn swiftly grabbed the Latina and yanked her mate back into her arms. Rachel had stopped her insistent mantra and almost clawed Santana’s human body clean in two when she had approach unannounced. Quinn was thankfully dressed in a pair of shorts and baby blue cardigan or would have been much more distracting to the already hysterical Rachel. The confused starlet was overcome with a tide of her new favourite smells. The owners being so close, the feeling intensified and yet settled her.

“Berry!” The startled cheerleader scolded. “For fucks sake, smurf!”

Brittany came into the room and promptly wrapped Santana into a full body hug. “Santy, don’t push her, she’s scared.”

Rachel was most certainly not scared. She was just a little light headed, that’s all. ‘If everyone else would perhaps learn not to douse themselves in such intoxicatingly tantalizing fragrances maybe she could focus.’

Brittany conspicuously sniffed the room and grinned at Rachel. “It’s not just us.” Her voice is sing-songly. 

Rachel’s claws spasmodically gripped and stretched into Quinn’s linens as the diva tried to regain her equanimity. With only pure unalterable will, she forced the cotton to leave her mind and sighed with relief as the jumbled mess her thoughts were once in began to untangle themselves. Nonetheless, the want and feeling was still obtrusively lashing throughout her frame.

‘Compose yourself Rachel Barbara Berry, it is never proper to have a mental break down before an audience, reason through this!’ A lengthy pause. ‘This has to be a dream.’

“No, you twat.” Santana barked, thinking that Rachel was being adorable. Annoyingly dim, but still adorable. She frowned that the word ‘adorable’ could be used to describe Rachel. Santana scowled some more when she realized that she of all people had described Rachel as such. The Latina latched her arms around her first blonde and as she placed her chin over Brittany’s shoulder she intoned. “You’re a Shifter.”

‘A shifter, what is a shifter?’ Rachel shook her great head left to right, managing to ruffle up the minuscule feathers that donned her upper back. The Shifter wasn’t even conscious of the fact that she had been vocalizing her thoughts telepathically to the other occupants of the room. 

“You. Are. Freaking. Retarded!”

Rachel snapped her eyes at Santana and readied her retort but could only glare hungrily when the cheerleader undresses out of her tank and boxers. Apparently undergarments like bras and panties were not required in this Fabray’s bedroom. Rachel suddenly wanted to push the girl over and ravish her with her tongue. Rachel wasn’t sure what method she had to do but the diva wanted to do some ravishing, whatever kind she could. The ‘brunette’ paused at the last thought and reasoned that some of the haze still obviously clouded her sane mind.

Santana’s cheeks were shot crimson after feeling both Rachel’s want and sensing her thoughts. Her blondes had obvious heard Rachel’s feelings since they are starting to overindulge the room in their own scents, their lust in full display. “Stop!”

Brittany blinked and for a moment stared at her brunette, in a deliberately slow manner she lowered her gaze from Rachel’s form. Quinn on the other hand narrowed her eyes at Santana, weighing the pros and cons on whether to obey Santana’s wishes. Nevertheless, the invitingly coaxing scents of heather and columbine lessened and began to dissipate out of the room. 

Santana had no idea what the hell was happening, but she guarded her own. Brittany and Quinn are hers. She sits sentinel over them. She was theirs and they were hers. Quinn and her have been at odds for a bit earlier this year but it was nothing their bond could not overcome.

Rachel on the other hand was of no relations to her. She had no obligation to explain things to the at times obnoxious singer. And yet Santana found herself beginning to morph. “Watch, denial-a-tron.”

The feisty brunette took a lungful of air and when she languidly exhaled, her body began to ripple and contort. Santana’s mocha coffee hair tangled down her back, shading her body in fine peach fuzz as she dropped to her hands and knees. The coat of fur leaks over her chest, arms and shoulders but not before her spine bulges and elongates. An appendage emerged from Santana’s once prehensile tail bone. Rachel gawked as Santana moaned with delight. The girl’s limbs grew and creaked into sturdy fore and hind paws. Santana is mutating right before the diva’s eyes, Rachel is starting to deduce that she has been drugged before her nap, and was now reaping the high through her dream.

Once completely shifted, the process taking no longer than a minute, the panther stretched much like a common house cat would and leisurely tapped her ivory claws onto the carpeted floor. The cheerleader’s whole body is striking both in its beauty and prowess. The Latina could morph a whole lot faster, she prided herself of that fact, but she needed to show Berry what they were. Since the teeth grindingly pestering gremlin honestly seemed to be confused.

Rachel could be a foe or potential ally… The changed Shifter glanced at Quinn and Brittany, noting their obvious desire. Perhaps a plaything for her mates.

Santana wasn’t about to deny the feelings she was starting to sense from her blondes and even Rachel. She wouldn’t mind a strong member into her pack. As long as nothing was going to be stolen from her again. Santana was never letting anything like that happen ever again.

The fulsome Latina had already forgotten Rachel’s earlier control over her.

‘You’re like me.’ Santana projected, she sits on her haunches and lifted her head proudly to Rachel’s inspection. 

Rachel coughed as only great beast could, scoffing at the very idea of her being anything remotely alike Santana. The huge feline was almost three meters long, larger and more intimidating than an average panther would be. Rachel noted that dream Santana’s body seemed to shimmer a deep earth green but only when the light caressed her silk fur correctly. The thought of ravishing someone popped up once again. ‘You and I, can not be compared.’

Brittany watched in concern as Santana took immediate offence to the clueless girl’s statement. The Latina’s body rippled in righteous vehemence as she hurtled onto the already overburden bed.


	3. A Claim Issued

Rachel flashed away from the Shifter-panther’s crunching jaws and backed onto her hind legs, she endeavoured to straighten her body to its full length to exert her dominance over her less than passive acquaintance. However, since Rachel was still new to her morphed stature’s size, she managed to rear her impressive twin horns into the ceiling. 

‘You’re stuck.’ Santana teasingly assessed. She had been at first readying for a match of more brawl than finesse since Rachel hardly appeared to even know how to control her Shifted form. But now found herself chortling with laughter at the starlet’s predicament. 

Quinn gradually walked toward the now hissing Rachel. The girl’s mind has shut off from the group’s thoughts and the murderous self-defence flickering in the Shifter’s eyes was anything but jovial. “Rachel, please, calm down, let me help.”

The diva stilled and allowed Quinn to near the bed. She watched motionless as the head cheerleader climbed over Santana’s prone form. The panther growled at the display and rolled off the squished mattress to curl around the seated Brittany.

Brittany has a pleased smile on her lips and started to scratch Santana behind her ears, eliciting a motoring purr from the big feline. The Latina is still weary of their guest, she’s ready to pounce and destroy at the slightest hint of malice from Rachel. No one who seeked to harm her mates would live unscathed. 

It doesn’t occur to Santana that even she wouldn’t be able to save Quinn from Rachel’s claws in time if the diva wanted to harm the blonde; at least not from Santana’s spot on the ground. She would not admit it, but Santana had already placed her faith in someone that has been hiding from her and in a way deceived her. Yet she felt none of her customary raw anger towards her fellow brunette. She does not comprehend that she has no desire to cause actual harm towards Rachel.

Rachel would have blushed if her new body allowed her such human expressions. The head cheerleader has gently positioned her hands daintily below Rachel’s lightly scaled underjaw. The newest Shifter had scales that line the very bottom of Rachel’s chin and trickled down her nape. The laminas were malleable and dark in colour, wholly camouflaged in her sea of onyx and viridian coat. The unnameable feeling, momentarily ceased by Santana’s challenge, now re-emerged ten-fold.

“Lean towards me.” Quinn instructed softly while tenderly drawing Rachel’s massive head down towards her own frame. 

Rachel obliged once Quinn’s unique columbine fragrance registered in her recuperating mind. Her eyes rolled up in annoyance when flakes of plaster from the ceiling rained onto her head. She watched half with awe and dismay as her branch like horns were extracted from the ceiling. When Quinn caressed her face she settled to not childishly thrash her spiralled horns into the ceiling for its transgression.

‘What is happening?’

‘You are a Shifter, an alarmingly well hidden one.’ Santana lifted her bright amber orbs towards Rachel and admitted begrudgingly. ‘How have you’ve screened your scent from us, I want answers, now.’

Rachel sniffed and ignored Santana’s order. ‘The other girl has no right to command her. Santana belonged to her.’ The tingle from before pulses, growing in strength with each second the four remained at a close distance.

Quinn was willing to acknowledge hers and Rachel’s mutual lust. Along with being the oldest of the three, Quinn is also most apt at their kind’s history and lore, Rachel was claiming them all and the blonde found she was unusually willing to comply. 

Just like Brittany had been with her.

Brittany was always up for sex and Santana goes along with whatever allowed her to initiate complete control without also burdening herself with the responsibilities of being an full-time alpha. But Quinn… Quinn was by no means normally so wanton and she certainly didn’t see the need to exert her will in the bedroom. She was content with her other pairs arrangement. She enjoyed the shared control she had with Santana.

Rachel had interrupted hers, Brittany and Santana’s official bonding. And as it was traditioned for countless millennia, their finally sanctioned pack was allowed to form a pact. The pact was being solidified through mating, as was customary.

A timeless pact, an agreement between all three bodies. The pact was the first for all three Shifters and would be stronger than any they will ever make for the rest of their unduly long lives. 

Yet, that was when Rachel had arrived. 

Quinn intrinsically knew that this was a sign and found herself fully agreeable to a Destiny that entitled her to Rachel.

“What do you mean, Santy belonged to you?” Brittany questioned while running her hands pleasurably down Santana’s tightening back. Unfortunately Quinn’s deduction and came conclusion had not been freely broadcast as Rachel had with her own thoughts. This left Quinn to either rerun her prior thoughts to her mates or-

“Why would you think that?” Brittany continued. It wasn’t that the blonde minded Rachel’s claim. Oddly enough she mirrored Quinn’s acceptance. It felt right. The argument that Quinn and Santana had the year before had been cared for. 

Perhaps with Rachel, the wound between her quarrelling lovers would not only be mended but also balm over. Brittany was having one of her moments, when situations in her future became astonishingly clear. The premonition appeared to suggest that everything was going to work out. The bubbly blonde swung her leg over WereSantana’s back and leaned over to plaster her body completely against her mate’s back. 

Santana begun to amusedly purr in a repetitive base motor rhythm, it caused Brittany to giggle and snuggle her face into the spot between where the Shifter’s shoulder blades stuck out. Even with Rachel present, it didn’t feel weird for them to be so affectionate with one another. Another blatantly obvious sign that Santana held no strong lingering resentment towards Berry, since playing with Brittany puts them both in a less than stellar fighting stance.

An addition to the pack would not be an issue; Brittany could almost hold onto the twinge that resonated from Rachel, her Destined beckoned. It was not the same as Santana’s draw or Quinn’s. Santana needs Brittany to balance her. Santana’s suspicious calculations required Brittany’s light-hearted openness. Quinn necessitates submission since Santana and Quinn still fight for dominance. Santana is clearly the stronger of the two in shifted form, however Quinn was more gifted in their arts and Brittany sometimes thinks that Quinn has manipulated the whole school into some master plan. Like that game her sister had tried to play with her. Mastermind? No, that was the one where she learned not everything round could be used as marbles. Polly pocket Malibu dream house? No… What was it…? Brittany begun to drift off to sleep; Santana was just such a silky velvet kind of warmth beneath her. The game had trading, houses, ports, dice and roads. The rules were so confusing so she would team up with either Santana or Quinn.

Quinn never lost…

The singer doesn’t know how to answer but after another drawl of the heavily fragranced air she states. ‘You are mine, you are all mine.’ The diva tilted her head towards Santana when she thought ‘all’. 

Rachel has decided it’s safe to declare this a really sweet dream, but a dream all the same. She might as well go with whatever chief emotion or sentiment sparks first from her heart. She would never dare say even half the things she has been talking about earlier. There was also the fact that she was in the form of a… she wasn’t sure what the heck she was.

And Santana, beautiful, wild Santana. The brunette was so righteous and enticing. All of them were… coming to terms with her need caused the throb to lessen in degree; it’s no longer causing her physical pain, only want. Unfiltered, mouth drying, palm warming, body vibrating, want. Conversely, it never occurred to her this was something possible in reality. So logically this had to be a dream. A very lucid and wonderful dream. 

It did seem like one of those trippy highs Noah boasted about after every Friday lunchbreak. Rachel was sure she hadn’t been drugged though. She packed her own lunch and never has heard of anyone ingesting a hallucinogen laced PB&J. Whatever brand that PB&J was composed of, she was buying a carton load from COST-CO later. Perhaps, it was the house itself; she wasn’t clear on how most drugs functioned. Why would the singer ever dabble in something that may cause irreversible harm to her vocal chords? You can get high off inhaling marijuana even when not from the pipe, right?

‘No, virgin Mary.’ Santana intoned. ‘You can’t fucking get high off smelling weed, and our fragrance is a thousand times better than herb skunk.’

The starlet nodded agreeably. ‘That is true.’

Santana smirked smugly as Brittany giggled. Rachel was nowhere near controlling how much of her thoughts were projected. It was becoming something of an entertainment for the girls. 

Rachel noted that the wanting wasn’t lessening with time, if anything it has gotten worst but in an entirely different way. There is a primordial message in the back of her mind; she allowed her conscious mind to follow instinct. ‘You are mine, for I lay claim and-’ the word ‘request’ didn’t quite feel right for Rachel to ‘say’ ‘-I declare a pact to bind us into the loyalties...’

Santana’s brows furrowed in confusion right after the other Shifter had staked a claim on her and the others. ‘Loyalties pertained to a pack?’ This was ridiculous. ‘Berry, do you know what you are asking?’

“More like demanding.” Quinn mentioned with a quirk of her perfectly manicured eyebrows, no time like the present to explain her theory. “Basing a guess purely on how the scent of Rachel is most likely driving the both of you equally mad with want, along with her inopportunely interruption; Destiny appeared to have intervened.”


	4. Acceptance

Title: Pact (4/?)

Author: Mina Robins

Fandom: Glee

Pairing: Brittana/Faberry, Faberrittana. Polyamorous.

Rating: T

Summary: Rachel stumbles into the underworld hidden beneath Lima's dull exterior when the slumbering genotypes in her DNA finally awaken and exert themselves. Thankfully her mates will help her navigate through the more dangerous paths she has to encounter.

Kudos to Cassicio for guessing the game Brittany was thinking of. It was 'The Settlers of Catan'!

…..

Santana had at first expected that the veracious telepathy shared among them had been caused by Quinn's pheromone imbalance. Quinn was nearing her time of heat as was most Shifters in the Fabray household. But nearing does not mean instantaneous need, if anything, the want should be cultivating between Quinn, Brittany and herself. Quinn's hormones did not explain her own degradingly yummyideas of all four of them in bed together. Though it was more than carnal desire; Santana was horrified to feel the onset of contentment. It was as if someone had found the final missing puzzle piece and thrown it into her palm. She felt terribly cliché in wanting to insert the final portion into a 10,000,000 piece replica of Van gogh's Starry Night. She would step away and smile when the moon was a perfect circle. Also, this was the 'thing' Quinn had brought up; it was the thing that started the whole baby gate catastrophe… Puckerman was still going to pay.

The Latina flared her nostrils at the mere thought of that pig. It's more important to focus on the now. It was true that Santana felt the allure of a Destined induced craving… However fated was too strong a word. It is not odd for Destiny to take the Shifter kind's paths and entwined them together as she felt fit. It's not unusual for a Shifter to find their trails fitted with another's; however, it was extremely rare, near impossible for it to happen so suddenly and without any inkling of warnings beforehand and never so late.

With Brittany, the moment they had laid eyes on each other, they were bonded. Both Clan's parents had been overjoyed for being gifted with a Destiny's bond. Having a Destiny given mate was a sign of great luck and always a prominent status increaser. Some even try to fake the fated bonds or forge one out of supernatural magic but it rarely worked. It was as if Destiny truly knew and sought after the pretenders with vengeance. Those who self-claimed to own such a bond are hunted by misfortunes and yet it never stopped some Clans to falsify Destiny's hand. It is a considered an enormous lack in honour and yet there were still some boastful fakers in the Shifter circles.

When Quinn and Santana were schooled in the same elementary school, it was easy to sense the completeness one feels with a fated mate. Brittany and Quinn had agreed to meet at first to please Santana but the three soon found that Brittany was extremely candid towards Quinn. It appeared that the Heather Clan girl had been immediately taken by Santana's other.

Quinn, the youngest and thus unfortunately considered the weakest in her family hierarchy had never experienced such complete and attentive devotion. The young Fabray found her heart vacant with room for one other.

The Lopez's were practically enrobed with pride when Santana had managed to acquire not one, but two Destined. The three girls continued to build their friendship and were taught the ways of their kind as was custom. Quinn's bond with Santana raised her ranking in her family and thus allowed her privileges she had once never experience.

The three were forbidden to petition for a pact till Quinn's 12th birthday, since she was the oldest of the three. It is customary for even such a unique case to follow the supernatural law; first pacts were never to be made without permission from the Council of Eight. Even with granted permission they were not allowed to consummate the pact until Quinn's 17th birthday.

It didn't stop the girls from joining in other ways. It was almost a year ago from this week that the three had first become intimate.

It's rare for Destined bonds to manifest itself so late in a Shifter's life, nonetheless, when the three had joined for the first time it was a shock to both blondes to feel the undeniable entanglement of fate. It was still hinted in their childhood though; Santana's blondes were together at first through Santana. Hints and signs always forgo a Destined bond. However, the very presence of Rachel's connection to them was complete unsanctioned.

And Santana was sure she was feeling the unmistakeable magnetic force, the same kind that had caused Brittany and then Quinn to gravitate to her. The same appeal the two blondes now felt for each other. Heck they all felt it equally and now, Santana could feel the memorable attraction now emulating from Rachel. It was as if the entire world had begun to change the moment Rachel's powers awakened itself on Quinn's doorstep. Until nothing else could stop it till Santana was at the realization of its meaning.

But this was happening all too fast.

Santana's once content purr has rapidly declined to a ferociously exasperated and impatient rumble. Rachel had still not answered her question. Why had she hid herself this whole time from them?! She should know it was cruel to shy away from one's Destined! Why hadn't she awakened to her powers? Why wasn't she aware of them? Didn't Rachel realize that they'll have to petition for a new pact between the four of them.

It had never occurred to Santana to just go ahead with their original trinity for the first pact. It was sacred to their kind and she had no intention of forcing one of her Destined to be excluded from it. Yet another petitioned could take years, they had petitioned when Quinn had turned 12. It had taken the bloody Council four and a half years to return a barely passed pact proposal. A new one that could take a dementedly tedious amount of time! Along with Rachel's true bloodline being a mystery, the council would demand research! The Latina was so frustrated and conflicted on her emotions toward Rachel's new residence in her life that she had begun to project her thoughts stridently into the room.

Rachel twitched her tail and commenced to move towards the obviously stormy Santana. Before things went out of hand though, Quinn interjected. "You need to change back Rachel, now."

'Like a lineless runt like her knows how.' Santana angrily pointed out. Habits are hard to break and the cheerleader has gotten so used to tormenting Berry that even if she corrected her actions her livid temper at the current moment would be her downfall. She's not even tempted to cease the deplorable way she is acting now. She's just furious at the turn of events, not so much of Rachel's presence but of what is to come. First Finn, then Puckerman and now Rachel, their final piece comes to them 16 years later then really socially and emotionally acceptable, and they can't even join till their petitioned was passed due to Rachel's unique origins. They haven't even begun to delve into who Rachel really ways. What the cluster fuck. It was times like these, however rare a time, Santana wished she had been born human.

Rachel snarled at the other shifted were. 'Cease your insolence.'

'Are you stuck in the dark age, who the heck says 'cease and insolence' in the same sentence?' Santana opened her mouth and lolled out her tongue in direct mock of Rachel. 'Oh and also, why don't you make me?'

The beast in Rachel resurfaced itself. After sleeping dormant in the very cores of her DNA, it has awoken and unlocked the seals once placed on Rachel's abilities. It had been lured out by the delectable scent of her true mates, the inner beast will never be willingly dominated by either her own human will or the will of any other Shifter ever again. She will have to learn to control her initial urges. She must utilize her abilities without letting the beast overtake her sane mind. As it almost did when Santana had first angered her.

From the moment she was conceived, Rachel's physical body and psyche has been a spontaneous reaction towards nothing less than an alpha position. The lead gene is a perplexingly recessive trait, but once activated the diva can never fully return to her meeker personality, the beast will also never return to slumber. If it did, Rachel would surely become ill from weakness. Even if she had once been more likely take the path of least conflict she will now indefinitely demand the obedience from those in her… Rachel groped aimlessly for the correct term for the three other teens in the room.

'If you cannot appreciate the finer arts of the English language, Santana.' The overpowering fragrance of a still unnamed plant flaunts dauntingly into the tension thick room. 'Then let me put it into words even you will comprehend. Shut up.'

Rachel held Santana's resilient gaze. The cheerleader wanted to duck her eyes, submit to her counterpart but she was so freaking mad at the sequence of events that she knew neither her nor Rachel would submit to one another.

A Destined bond required give and take. Ying and Yang. Brittany and herself. Quinn and herself. Quinn and Brittany. Both parties have to be willing to submit as much as command. Lead as much as follow. Nonetheless Santana could not accept Rachel, not yet. She refused Destiny's early gift for she's was still too reckless. She's angry at fate for revealing a treasure of hers so late in her youth. Only time will tell if their Destined bond would remained intact when neither women were willing to bend. There is plasticity, torsion room; however, there is also a fracture point.

Since their births the four had been Destined to be together. For more than just their joining, much more, however, they were all still far from their appointed time. Too young and shallow was their new bond. It had been so coincidentally and randomly awoken and now cannot be swept aside.

Santana wanted to apologize for every harsh and cruel thing she's said to Rachel, but she can't.

Rachel tried to fight the beast and be more placating towards the Latina, but her bond with Santana is too weak to aid her in maintaining her will.

They remained staring at one another for trickling facets of time. Neither could move on. Not until Quinn treads in between them. Rachel was the first to look into Quinn's eyes, when Santana sees this she gets up and nuzzled her head against Quinn's body possessively.

Assured that the Latina would no longer quip at her at every given moment, Rachel returned her attention to an understanding Quinn.

'Teach me how to be normal again.'


	5. First Steps

Santana was practically dying to say ‘Nothing can teach you to be normal.’ But her tongue remained placidly soft in her mouth. Finding nothing better to fight off her irritation over Rachel’s exasperatingly abilities, Santana turned to Brittany.

The Shifter-panther nipped onto Brittany’s shirt and yanked until the weak fabric began to rip.

“Santy!” The blonde scolded. “This isn’t mine, its Quinn’s!” 

Santana nudged at Brittany’s thighs and used her teeth to gently tug at the rim of the blonde’s shorts. 

‘I want to go for a run, come with me.’ It sounded like a command but Santana’s eyes were pleading for Brittany to allow her escape and companionship. 

Brittany nodded and stripped out of the tattered remains of her clothing.

She paused a moment and looked to Quinn. “Can you get our talismans?” 

After giving Rachel a pat on one of her paws the head cheer leader left the bedroom and headed down the stairs.

Brittany took a couple short bonds forward and leapt. When she lands on her curled fingers they had shifted into slim paws and her feet have curved considerably. She shook her head and arched her back; the movement causing her hair to cascade along her growing body. The blonde colour shimmers almost golden while dark evergreen shaded spots peppered the feline’s fur. Her tail thickened at the very end into a small tuff. Brittany finished her transformation by trotting up to Rachel and lifting one of her paws up in ‘Hello’. 

Rachel dipped her head and sniffed the cheetah in front of her. ‘Brittany?’

The Shifter-cheetah sat back on her haunches and raised both her paws to touch Rachel’s face. ‘Don’t I look pretty?’

The larger Shifter reverently nods and once again managed to cause her horns to scratch bits of the ceiling onto her back. Brittany was a gloriously golden colour and yet her spots seemed to exhibit the same emerald shine that Santana had.

The Shifter-cheetah smiled and turned around to face the Shifter behind her. Santana’s tail is twitching impatiently but she still stood and sniffed noses with her mate.

Quinn returned with a small plain wooden box and knelt before the two giant Shifter felines. Brittany approached first and the blonde lingered her fingers along the markings of the Shifter cheetah’s face. “Did this form grow?”

Brittany tilted her head and shrugged her shoulders.

Brittany was about the same size as Santana. The comparison made Rachel wonder if Santana’s shifted form was considered large seeing how Brittany was quite a bit taller in their human forms.

Quinn placed the box onto the ground and after murmuring a soft chant she lifts her index and middle finger to her lips and softly blew on them. The blonde glanced up at Rachel and smiled. “Watch.”

Rachel looked on curiously. The second Quinn positioned her fingers onto the seamless box the tiny casing’s smooth planes became carved with design and engravings. A dot glowed at the very center of the box. A line grew from the point and divides the top in half and cracks the box open. Quinn retrieved an amulet the size of a USB stick in the shape of a round seed and motioned to Brittany.

The Shifter cheetah strode forward and stuck up her chest. Quinn takes the seed and pushed it lightly against Brittany’s neck. The harm took hold immediately and a thin vine wraps around the feline’s lithe neck. The vine coiled around and around until a thick necklace adorned the Shifter cheetah’s nape.

Rachel got off the bed but took note to carefully maneuver her horns when walking towards the trio. ‘What is that piece of jewellery for?’

Santana growled at Rachel’s close proximity but still answered. ‘I want to go out for a run.’

The horned Shifter blinked confusedly. ‘So if one wishes to go out they must wear these… devices?’

Santana rolled her eyes and spun around to offer her tail up to Quinn. The head cheerleader faintly smiled, glad that her brunettes were at least conversing with one another; she took an oval shaped seed and Rachel frowned as the seed swirled itself around Santana’s tail. ‘It’s quarter to five o’clock and still too bright out, these talismans allow us to go out unseen by humanity.’

‘It renders us invisible?’

Brittany grinned and motioned towards Quinn’s window. ‘And it lets us go through portals made in the house.’ The Shifter cheetah shook her hips a little before jumping up and into the glass.

Rachel wanted to yell a warning but before she could open her mouth to produce sound, Brittany had sailed through the glass as if it was not there at all. The Shifter speedily got up and looked out the window to see Brittany on Fabray’s lawn calmly cleaning her paw.

‘How?!’

‘We’re going out for a run, will be back by six.’ Santana ignored the question and followed in her mate’s footsteps. 

‘I wish to accompany you two.’ Rachel eagerly said.

Quinn’s face split into a full blown smile but then bit her lip. ‘Santana, would you mind if I and Rachel came along?’

Brittany ears perked excitedly at that piece of news and grinned at the black feline pleadingly. Santana sighed and dropped her head onto her forepaws. She just wanted a little alone time with Brittany to settle her feelings but perhaps this was a good chance to see what Rachel was made of. ‘Fine, just don’t make me wait any longer.’

Rachel grinned wolfishly and lifted her paw out for Quinn. ‘I need one of those, correct?’

“Yes, are you sure you want it on your hand?”

‘Would it be better suited somewhere else?’

Quinn leant in close and set a seed down onto Rachel’s right antler. Without delay, the talisman sprouts vines and shoots through the branch-like barbs. ‘I do not feel any different.’

‘You shouldn’t, Smurf.’

Rachel almost wanted to childishly stick her tongue out at Santana and blow a raspberry. Instead she settled on just glaring at the other Shifter. ‘Refrain.’

Santana snorted at the command but nonetheless quiets.

“I’m going to shift now, give me a moment.”

‘May I watch?’ 

Quinn smiled again and stood up to kiss Rachel on her nose. “You’re in your right to.”

Quizzical on the natures of her rights but also a little giddy from the friendly display of affection, Rachel opted to stay silent. Her tail, however, swished wildly to and fro.

Quinn giggled at the newcomer’s action. Rachel watched curiously as the blonde girl’s fore limbs stretched and elongated her body up. The girl’s fists were held tightly and in a matter of moments they were beginning to shine a dull emerald. Quinn bent the front of her cream pelted body down as she rotates her shoulders, hollow bone outlined by thin flesh stretch from her back. The wings sprouted a million diminutive feathers as a malachite coloured horn about half a metre long spiralled through Quinn’s forelocks. Rachel was expecting Quinn to turn into a feline-like creature that both Brittany and Santana had morphed into, but before her was a horse-like creature more akin to a Pegasus or unicorn of mythology. 

Quinn cautiously spun a full circle so not to knock everything down in her room. She wanted to display her wings and high-carried lion like tail to her… her Rachel. Quinn’s shifted form was nearly the size of a shire horse but had all the refined characteristics of an Arabian thorough bred. Quinn touched her horn into a seed that belong to one of her parents since she had given her own talisman to Rachel.

‘Wow.’ Rachel gulped. 

‘I didn’t get a wow.’ Brittany pouted as her ears flattened with dismay.

Santana laughed and nuzzled into the saddened Shifter-cheetah. ‘You always get a wow out of me.’

‘Yeah?’

‘Mmmm hmmm.’ Brittany jumped onto Santana and tumbled around with her; both were purring happily.

Rachel felt neither jealous of their interaction nor embarrassed to hear their conversation. It just felt right.

Quinn neighed and trotted a turn before leaping through the window and spreading her impressive pure white wings to slow her landing. ‘Coming, Rachel?’

Rachel pushed her head experimentally against the cold glass, half expectant to be able to stick her head outside. To her surprise her muzzle’s movement was stilled by the double layer window. She wasn’t going through like the others!

Annoyed, Rachel slowly reared up but lowered her head, still mindful of her antlers and used her paws to push onto the strong glass. ‘Why can I not come through?’

‘You have to rush through the portal space or it’s just a window.’ Brittany explained as she lifted her head up to face Rachel. ‘Make a run through it.’

‘What if it does not work?’

Before Quinn could relieve Rachel of her worry Santana quipped. ‘Then you get all cut up by shards of glass like me, Brittany, and Quinn obviously did. Stop being a chicken and jump!’

Rachel frowned and growled at Santana for being so unhelpful and paced in her spot. She bared her teeth and clamped her eyes close as she made the leap. The talisman grants her access to the portal and allowed her to glide through unharmed. Rachel, still new to her body had a bit of trouble easing her landing and ends up crashing into Santana and Brittany.

Santana snapped a paw at Rachel’s neck warningly and hissed. ‘Watch it, fumblina!’

‘Sorry, sorry!’ Rachel thrashed her head about and tried to walk off the bit of sting from Santana’s scratch. It wasn’t long till she felt exasperated and attempted to return a hit to Santana.

However, the Shifter panther had been able to access her other form since childhood and had no problem evading Rachel’s claws. 

Brittany glanced at both worriedly and before those two got into a full out brawl again decided to playfully pounce on Santana. ‘Tag, you’re it!’

The Shifter cheetah easily cleared the Fabray’s backyard fence and started a head long run towards the outskirts of Lima. Santana barked and followed after her mate. ‘See if you can keep up, smurf.’

However, Brittany was in her cheetah form and thus made her a much faster sprinter than her lithe panther mate. She knew she needed to find a hiding spot before she was tired out and Santana caught up to her. The blonde made a quick 90 degree turn and dashed towards their school’s parking lot. 

Rachel wanted to go after them but wasn’t sure if she could properly control her body. The singer sighed and glanced at Quinn as she walked up to her. 

‘Did I fail completely?’

‘Not even a little bit,’ Quinn motioned to a part of the fence that was in the square middle of the lawn. ‘C’mon, let’s go catch up.’ 

Quinn started off at an easy pace and went through the portal in the fence and didn’t speed up until Rachel had followed.

‘How fast can I go?’ Rachel asked anxiously.

‘Would you like to find out?’ Quinn answered, after Rachel consented with a nod, Quinn broke into a canter and seeing Rachel following easily she broke into a full gallop towards the school parking lot. Whenever they played tag Brittany always ended up at school for some strange reason.

Rachel was trying different running methods, she at first tried to mimic Quinn’s stride but found it too awkward and when she looked down at her legs managed to overdo the bending and ended up doing a rather lame summersault. 

Quinn rushed back to check Rachel for wounds. ‘I’m sorry Rach, I didn’t mean to push you-’

Rachel was laughing so hard she had stayed on her back and only stopped when she noticed Quinn worrying nervously around her. ‘You have no reason to be concern; I just found my predicament kind of ridiculous.’

‘How about instead of running like me you just try to move as your body is designed to?’

Rachel stood up and tried to walk as Quinn had suggested her to and after a bit of getting use to her own stride she found herself building up speed. Quinn was galloping beside her on the concrete road; the pair had to occasionally avoid oncoming cars by running onto the side walk.

‘No one can see us, can they?’ Rachel questioned as they sped past people chatting and impatient drivers. ‘I thought you guys were just joking before.’

‘Not about being revealed to the public, we aren’t going to joke about that, it’s an unwritten law that we remain hidden the best we can.’ Quinn was starting to have a small issue with the speed Rachel was building up to. The new Shifter hadn’t slowed down since the last tumble and even though Quinn could definitely do a stamina run she was much faster in flight when compared to her gallop. Quinn began flapping her wings and lifted off the ground to glide above Rachel.

Never being all that competitive in sports before, Rachel suddenly felt the need to excel at this little race and pushed to become even faster. And even if she doesn’t know it at the moment Rachel was talented in the many arts her race has to offer. The songstress has already tapped into her abyssal range of aptitudes and honed her voice, her words laced with regal eloquence. Her sight is clear to a point that would have caused lesser beings continual dizziness but after mere moments from her awakening Rachel was finding herself easily cataloguing all she took in. Scents danced around her and other than distinguishing who they belonged to she could also feel more than that. Rachel has a very rare gift residing in the very core of her genetic makeup and with some tutelage and determined training will become a crucial key in turning the tides of war. Unfortunately this gift will also make her the target of endless enemies. 

However, at the very moment Rachel needed only to be proud of the fact how she’s taking her renewed senses with stride.

The pair took the last turn towards school with Rachel leading by a whole body length. Rachel does a 180, wags her tail and opens her jaw into a smile. It was a clear signal of ‘let’s play!’. Quinn lowered herself down and finds herself being lightly clambered onto by an excited Rachel. ‘I was so incredibly fast!’

‘You were, I’m actually really impressed.’

‘Quinn, why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?’ 

The cream-white Shifter sighed and looked Rachel in the eye. ‘I wasn’t allowed to be friends with you, so I thought if I was bullying you, at least I could talk to you.’

‘You could have tried to just talk and not bully, and why were you forbidden to be my friend?’

Quinn shook her great neck. ‘I don’t know why… But Rachel, just know I’ve always liked you, even before all of this.’

Rachel felt her tail swish ardently; her body had no problem displaying her pleasure at Quinn’s affections. ‘Really?’

‘Yeah.’

A Shifter-panther appeared from behind one of the remaining cars and bump into Quinn with her muzzle. ‘You’re it now!’

Brittany was next to Santana and impishly bit onto Quinn’s tail. ‘C’mon, c’mon!”

‘Brit Brit, let’s split up!’ Santana suggested but found Brittany racing towards the football stadium before her. ‘Split up, not copy me!’

‘If I get there first then I’m totally not copying!’

Quinn cheekily walked towards Rachel and tapped her horn into one of Rachel’s antlers. ‘You’re it!’ The Shifter-equine tailed after the other two cheerleaders before Rachel could protest.

‘Technically Brittany touched you when she bit your tail so she is still… fine, I will just have to catch you the old fashion way.’

Rachel followed good naturedly into the stadium to find it empty except for a pile of suspiciously placed football equipment near the bleachers. Rachel grinned and quietly paced next to the spotted tail pawed at it. ‘I believe you are ‘it’ now.’

‘What, how’d you find me?!’ Brittany asked, upset at being found first. She tackled Rachel and they toppled over one another until she was on top of the bigger Shifter. ‘Did Santy tell you?’

‘No.’ Rachel laughed at the Shifter cheetah’s curious expression. ‘Get off Brittany, you are rather heavy.’ 

‘Brit, be a good girl, off.’ Quinn instructed as she flew back down to join the other two.

Brittany nodded before cleverly pouncing onto Quinn’s back. ‘Up, go up.’

‘No, you know you’re too heavy in shifted form, later maybe.’

‘Hey, Quinn, you know better than to cheat and fly, or I swear I’ll shift into-’

‘Can you hear that?’ Rachel perked her ears and dipped her head close to the grass floor. 

The field before them started to shake and rumble, at the far end of the field the football goal was tossed down by the violent shaking. The place where it stood now crumbled away as a vortex opened from the shattered ground and four coal black mares clawed their way out of the blackened earth. They were the sized of draft horses, with sturdy frames and each hoof was encased in blue red flames.

At closer inspection one could see peeling flesh from the horses back and even as their eyes shone blood crimson their pupils were empty of life.

‘Shit.’


	6. Mares of Diomedes

‘Shit.’ Santana growls and rushed protectively in front Quinn and Brittany. ‘What the fuck are they?’

‘Their bite is poisonous but I think you’ll be worrying more on the fact that they can breathe fire.’ Quinn informed as Brittany slid off her back. ‘Brittany, take Rachel back to my house, run as fast as you can and don’t turn back until you are both within the barrier’s perimeter.’

‘We cannot abandon you two to face off these… why did mythological Greek horses just spawn from the ground!?’ Rachel planted her paws down onto the grassy field defiantly.

Santana reared up her head and snarled. ‘Go!’

‘Rachel, they can’t protect you and me while fighting.’ Brittany pushed at Rachel and nudged until the bigger Shifter began to turn tail and run. 

The four mares arose and walked towards the remaining girls; they were snorting and howling while baring their dirty yellow canines. Their teeth are knife sharp and stained blackish red from the cuts done to their own mouths and from the flesh of others. They are the resurrected body of the Mares of Diomedes. 

The biggest and most wrathful appearing one trotted forward. It’s nostril flared and smoke billowed out of its mouth. “I am Deinos, you will face death’s door by my power and by the might of Podagros, Lampon and Xanthos, and thus we four will be released from our master’s rein.” 

Quinn stretches her wings knowing full well she will not be given an opportunity to shift forms. Her body display what she could not vocally say. She was ready to fight. For some reason these four were brought back by a necromancer and if they meant harm to her mates than she would have to defend.

One of the skinnier looking mares surged forward, making a try at dashing pass Santana’s guard but was knocked down by her paw. It reared up its flaming hooves and tried to crush the Shifter-panther’s skull.

Santana rolled out of the way just as the death striking hooves smashed onto the ground where she had lay. Dust unsettled by the hit puffs up, the three other mares stormed towards Santana causing a cloud of dirt and ash to sheath their movement. They charged around the Shifter-panther in a vicious circle, closing in at all times, trying to get that one lucky blow that will splinter the bone marrow and splice into Santana’s beating heart. While managing to dodge most of their attacks a lucky bite does cut into Santana’s shoulder.

‘Quinn, any ideas how we’re not going to die here?’ 

‘Working on it, need to start a spell, can you distract them while I cast it?’ Quinn had spun around and managed to kick Xanthos across the face. She had enough strength behind it that the bone in the monster’s neck had been shattered. Taking a quick running start she flings herself into the skies just as Deinos’ teeth barely miss her flank.

The mare with the broken neck unfortunately was already dead, thus leaving the pathetic looking creature to lunge about with its head lolling near the ground and for its flaming breath to burn the grass.

The mare’s angry wheezing scorches the lawn. The undead fire caused the grass to burn bright till the ember flames devour the small piece of foliage to its roots. The seconds it stood proudly as a torch in the oncoming darkness are the seconds it took to alight its neighbours.

The field, in a matter of moments is engulfed in a sea of livid, searing fire. The smoke bites at Santana’s eyes and maims her sense of smell. Quinn dove down and tried to fan away as much of the smoke she can manage before the mares are trampling towards her. It allowed Santana some room and precious seconds to think of an escape route from the livid fires. 

Santana straightens out her body and used the ingrained images of her location to lead her towards the bleachers. She was taking the steps up by four; her claws digging desperately into the flimsy material. Her fast get away from the smothering fires gives her precious moments of sweet breathable air. She reaches the top and glares down at the fire breathing undead. 

The mares were clambering up the steps uneasily. Their heavy burning hooves crushing the bleachers beneath them, their neighs join together as one echoing voice. “Fools, you are only prolonging your demise, none will avoid their death, come let us taste your flesh!”

The dancing fires that claimed Lampon’s hooves wafted blindingly bright as the horse suddenly sped up the steps to devour Santana. Lampon crashed its entire body into Santana. The Shifter panther attempted to dive out of the way but it was too late, Santana felt herself sailing through the air after a the smash knocks the wind out of lungs. At the last moment Santana shook herself out of the pain induced by the charge and spun around to brace her legs against the heated stadium lights; she pushed herself off and darted at the closes mare, Xanthos. Santana’s trajectory had been perfect, she extended her claws and in one lighting slash of her paw the mare’s rotting head tumbled into the fire below.

The stadium lights tilted backwards and smashed into the concrete outside as Santana landed where Xanthos had once stood.

‘Okay you ugly bitches, who’s next?’

“Sisters, vanquish this child!” Podagros ordered as she thundered up at Santana, Quinn swooped down at that moment and aimed to impaled the ferocious mare through its chest cavity. The mare ignored the incoming attack and allowed itself to be speared, knowing its being was impervious to mortal wounds. When Quinn struggled to yank out her horn of the mare’s side, the undead horse instantly charged down the bleachers in the hopes of burning the still attached Quinn. 

Quinn whinnied and strained to fly back into the sky but was brought down as the mare wildly kicked and swung the pair of them onto the stadium’s sizzling floor. Santana roared and tried to deter their descending path but was interrupted by flaming Lampon and screeching Deinos.

As they tumbled down Quinn finally managed to unfurl her wings to slow the mad descent. She bowled out of the crash but still skidded onto her sides. The minuscule heated pebbles, normally unnoticed, sliced into her body and blistered against her skin. Lampon seemed only briefly ruffled by the fall, completely ignoring the gushing wound over its heart.

The grass was at least burning out; the smoke was starting to lessen. The bleachers were entirely different matter. The plastic was melting from the flames that had scorched the wooden arches and now began devouring the pillars. The stench from the man-made material was far worst, the toxic fumes along with the wound on her shoulder made Santana’s world swirl and her limbs to throb.

Lampon pawed at the ground and thrust itself into top speed; it galloped madly towards a composed Quinn. As the mare was just about to clamp its ragged teeth into Quinn’s neck, the hole where Quinn’s horn had punched began to grow and consume the entire living carcass of the mare. Like moss the tendrils from the wound expanded over Lampon, hardening as it clutched onto its rotting carcass.

“Child, what have you done?” Lampon’s voice was raspy and toneless. Its bones shattered onto the ground with a sickening crunch, seconds after, the remains becoming ash.

‘S, the spell worked,’ Quinn ordered urgently, feeling the magic endowed on her horn beginning to fade. ‘Lead them down here!’

‘Hey, your highness, I’m not a horse whisperer!’ Santana complained as she hurdled herself onto Lampon. The ridden mare started bucking as the leader of the undead group also made a charge. Santana scratched Deinos across the face to slow her approach. She twirled off Lampon and began winding her way down the stinking melting bleachers. 

‘Santana, look out!’ But Quinn’s warning was too late. The decapitated head of Xanthos could still move and was about to clamp its jaws into Santana’s back paw.

A blur flashed by and smacked the twitching head towards the back wall. 

‘B?’ Santana asked. ‘Does that mean Berry is here too?!’

‘She refused to obey.’ The Shifter-cheetah apologized, she had failed what was order of her.

Brittany was absolutely stunning as she sped up the stairs at the approaching Deinos, ducking just out of its fire gushing mouth. When she was under the behemoth she spiked up her back and thus toppled the monster’s balance.

Santana had perfect coordination, she bent her powerful back legs and leapt in-midair to receive the head mare and whirled the horse beneath her. She crushed all her weight down onto the thing’s windpipe.

“The undead have no need for air.” Deinos mocked as muddy froth bubbled from its cracked mouth. The mare’s legs ploughed into the ground as her hooves worked to get footing to right her stance. The opportunity never came since Quinn had leapt down from where she had flown to plunge her horn into Deinos’ head. The melting started much quicker and as its dead body disintegrated the trio looked up to see the last standing mare.

The creature appeared a whole lot less menacing since it could hardly balance itself on the breaking bleachers. Still it bravely charged down at the three Shifters. Its foul saliva still had enough fuel to light up its breath in fire. As it descended it slobbered onto itself to set its entire body in blue red flames.

Santana was still dizzy from the plastic smell now burned into her nostrils and that horrible cut on her shoulder. The shifter-panther planted her claws into the ground. Her equilibrium at the moment was way too off for her to manage any sudden movements.

Brittany rushed to Santana’s side, making sure to be ready if her mate toppled over. Quinn placed her body between her two mates and the oncoming undead. The Shifter-equine was speckled by scrapes and burns; she made her stance knowing full well that the glistening magic she had applied earlier was now starting to seep off her horn and onto the charred ground. 

Lampon threw its body off the bleachers and intended to drop its fire engulfed body onto the trio. Quinn reared onto her hind legs and kicked her front hooves up and ready for the collision. A blur thrashed into the last mare. The move was an obvious mimic of Brittany’s earlier attack. 

Rachel hadn’t quite gotten the hang of unleashing her hold and continued roll along with the struggling Lampon. She felt her fur sizzle and hastily pushed off from the burnt out undead. The creature wobbled onto its legs. The flesh from its body smothered off by the unnatural fires and oozed to the ground. Apparently, other than their legs and mouths, their bodies were still flammable. Rachel made one last attempt and slanted her head down and under the swaying monster and snapped her neck up, her horns smashed onto the creature’s bony underside. 

Quinn hastily jammed her horn into the crumbling body of Lampon. The moss was growing slower than before, as if it hardly had the energy left to destroy the mare. 

Xanthos’ headless body staggers to its legs, it dips it neck down and the four watch aghast as the sinews and bone reconnect themselves in a rapid rate. The last mare charges the unprepared Rachel but the singer is saved by Brittany dashing into her and thus pushing her out of harm’s way. Xanthos pounds at the ground in frustration and tries to burn them all alive but before it could unleash its flames the undead horse is heaved backwards. Xanthos’ teeth clink shut at the sudden pull on her tail drags her down onto her haunches. Furiously it cracks out its back legs, hoping to break Santana’s grip. The Shifter-panther twists to let go but still a tad woozy from before, feels one of the flaming hooves singe across her cheek. 

‘Fuck, that’s going to bruise,!’ Santana backed into one of the stadium wall and hisses as blood dripped from the cut. ‘Sue is going to freaking kill me!’

‘Now is not the time to worry about your cheer captain’s reaction!’ Rachel scolded when she saw Xanthos turn and approach Santana.

The mare goes and focuses its entire wrath on the Shifter-panther. Santana lunged up and crunched her bone breaking jaws onto the monster’s neck but the pain she hoped to induce did not affect the undead nor did her bite completely detach the head from its body. She sputtered out pieces of matted fur and rotted flesh. The taste was horrid and yet clung to her tongue. 

‘Knock it over!’

Brittany and Rachel hurried to follow Quinn’s command, both Shifters rammed into Xanthos’ side. Quinn prayed she has endowed enough mana into her horn to get this last strike as she pierces the mare’s unbeating heart. Quinn kept her horn staked into Xanthos side. Knowing if she broke contact now the spell may not have enough power to finish the job.

The dead horse struggled vainly as the moss crawled over its body. With its dying breath it warned “You may have sent us back to purgatory, but you’ll still meet your end as long as, that child is with you.” Its lifeless sockets linger on Rachel until they as well are destroyed by the spell.

‘Thank god, it finally shut up. Its voice was so annoying.’ Santana mumbled as she collapsed onto the ashen ground.


	7. Healing

‘Thank god, it finally shut up. Its voice was so annoying.’ Santana mumbled as she collapsed onto the ashen ground.

‘Santy!’ Brittany was immediately by the Shifter-panther’s, the blonde shifted out of her animal form and shook her mate’s still body. “Santana wake up!”

Quinn morphed back into her human form and knelt beside Santana. She ran her fingers along the large feline’s fur and doused the Shifter-panther in her magic. Santana’s prone form quivered, her ribcage trembling up and down as she drew in deep uneven breaths of air.

‘Shhhh, B, it’s okay, I was just really dizzy.’

“Santana, I’m sorry I didn’t notice the bite earlier, try not to move I’m going to ice the poison in your veins.” Quinn dug her fingers into where the horses had bit into Santana’s shoulder. It was burning hot and blood was still seeping from the expanding wound. Santana groaned when Quinn had practically stabbed her and yet as the blistering pain ebbed away for a cooling chill she wobbled onto her legs.

“Quinn, can I suck the poison out?” Brittany asked, her arms wrapping around Santana’s neck.

“No, we need to get her to a healer.” The girl reached out and gently stroked her hand through the other blonde’s hair then knelt before the big cat’s face. “Santana, can you morph for me?”

The Shifter-panther rolled her neck and trembled as she transformed back. She did have a mighty bruise right below her eye. The wound that was at first only teeth marks had extended thanks to the poison and was now a bloody trench on her right shoulder. Thankfully, the ice spell had stopped the lesion’s expansion and reduced the poison’s affect; however, it also caused Santana to fall into hibernation. 

Santana’s eyes were half closed in her lethargic state of mind, she reached to scratch the dull throb on her shoulder but felt her hand tightly gripped in Brittany’s molten hot fingers. The brunette hissed and yanked away, but she was not so out of it to miss Brittany’s worry stricken grimace.

“Brit, I’m fine, I’ve been through worst.” When Brittany lifted her hand out to touch the bruise flowering on Santana’s cheek, the brunette intentionally leant into her mate’s palm. Everything around her and inside her body was taking turns being first mimicking smothering lava then frigid ice. Brittany’s comforting caress was painful to endure.

Rachel was stricken with worry but without being able to aid Santana in her injuries she could only stand near the trio. ‘Police sirens are approaching.’ Rachel warned as her ears twitched to catch the sound carried by the wind. 

Quinn shifted back into her Shifter form and knelt close to the ground. ‘Brittany get Santana onto my back, we’re going back.’

When the Latina had been draped onto the Shifter’s back, Brittany picked up the talisman that had been dropped when Quinn had shifted and offered it up.

‘Santana, I need you to be awake for just a little bit longer, please hold on.’ Quinn touched her horn onto her talisman and softly lifted herself into the skies. ‘Head back to the house.’

‘Don’t worry, I’ll travel with Rachel.’ After getting a neigh from Quinn, Brittany transformed back into her cheetah form, dipped her tail onto her talisman and walked to the bewildered Rachel.

‘We’ve got to go.’

‘What is going to happen to Santana, will she be alright?’ Rachel looked around at the still burning surroundings. ‘And the damage we’ve caused…’

Brittany shifted uneasily and turned for the stadium doors. ‘Please, we have to go home.’

……………………………………………………………………………….

Rachel watched appreciatively as Brittany weaved into and out of the foliage of their town. The blonde was running faster than before, however, she was still decelerating at intervals to make sure Rachel was still with her.

Before when Santana and Brittany had been all smiles and laughter they had moved as one big commotion. Skimming pass people to make them feel as if the breeze had taken invisible forms and jumping onto the rooftops of passing cars to hear the quiet creak of bending metal. 

As Rachel watched her friend transverse the pavement and ground between them and Quinn’s house, she noted that Brittany moved as a ghost. Silent and deadly, without an ounce of energy wasted on grunts or playful whines. Everything was put into the simple steel contractions and extensions of her swiftly moving limbs and to the steady rhythmic breathing of her lungs.

‘Santana taught me to be like this.’ Brittany’s mind’s voice wavered; she would probably be crying right now if she was physically able. ‘I couldn’t hunt very well when we were young and I got scolded a lot when we were kits and… and…’

‘Brittany, Quinn knows what she is doing, and we both know Santana is too stubborn to stay bed ridden, she will recover.’ Rachel was praying what she was saying was true; loosing Santana was an unbearable thought.

‘You’re right, I lost my focus.’ The Shifter-cheetah sped up as the Fabray’s house came into view. She easily cleared the fence and then scaled the side of the house to land on the roof. ‘Rach, can get up?’ After seeing Rachel nod she pounced through the window to enter Quinn’s room.

Rachel felt dread seize her heart when she too joined Brittany. Santana was making an agonizing effort to remain awake as Judy Fabray busied around her. The older blonde was placing water bottle sized runes at side of the four legs of the bed. Quinn was running her fingers through Santana’s hair, careful to not touch Santana directly and cause her more pain.

Rachel could see that the blonde’s back was bleeding profoundly and there were places where the skin had been burnt. Brittany came up and wrapped a robe around Quinn’s trembling shoulders and also had one on her arm, obviously for when Rachel would shift. She was clad in similar attire, apparently Judy had already told her not to come too close to Santana.

“God, everyone calm down.” Santana ordered weakly, she smiled tiredly at Quinn when Judy asked her to back out of the perimeter she had set. “I’m fine, Quinn, get yourself cleaned up, you look like a mess.”

Which was true, both Quinn and Santana were still covered in soot. Quinn’s golden hair was blackened by ash. Santana needed medical attention immediately but Quinn’s body will mend and she could definitely benefit from a wash. Some dirt still speckled her bleeding back.

“I’ll go shower when you can join me.” Quinn returned as her eyes glistened.

“Now we both know we never get clean when we take showers together.” Santana choked up a laugh, nodding at Judy when the blonde signal she was about to start.

Rachel was surprised they were being so crass around Quinn mother. She also wanted to mention a trip to the hospital but knew that it would only bring up unanswerable questions. She just had to trust in her glee mates. The diva watched as Judy Fabray’s eyes were consumed in black as she chanted in a language she couldn’t understand. The runes were now glowing and shaking. The symbols curved into the rocks shimmered and the body of the rocks themselves trembled.

The singer backed away a little when pillars of light shot out of the runes. The smell of Columbine flooded the room, not quite the same as what she had sensed before but similar enough for her to recognize. Brittany and Quinn moved to where Rachel was standing and motioned for her to step back.

Suddenly the chant ceased and Judy raised her hands to hover her palms over the bite. The pillars grew until they pushed up against the ceiling; shoving into the plaster as if they were the only things holding it up. When Judy returned her hands to her side the pillars cracked and began to crumble. Their line of decent all converged into Santana’s wound, crashing into the blackened lacerations. The blood curdling screech that came from prone Latina made Rachel rush towards her mate, she wanted to knock the runes down or at least bite Judy who was obviously intent on harming one of her’s. Logic escaped her mind and pushed her to action.

A pair of strong arms embraced Rachel’s neck and a hand was placed wrapped around one of her antlers. Rachel was inches from clamping her jaws onto Quinn’s mother and whined when she was tugged back.

‘Must, stop...’

“Shhhhhh, the poison has to be drained out of her body.” Quinn explained, her eyes focus on watching the procedure even though it hurt her to see Santana in so much pain. One day her mother will pass on and the profession of healer will be conceded onto her and her sisters. But she resides in her own pack now and needs to be fully able to withstand the bloodshed to be able to function as a good healer.

Brittany had silently burrowed her face in Rachel’s fur. 

Rachel growled menacingly at Judy, a useless warning. The pillars’ bright light began to fester into a muddy burgundy. Santana’s eyes were shot obsidian, she was thrashing, trying to get away from the draining pillars but the light clenched onto her arm and shoulder. 

After some time the burgundy colour lightened to blood red gradually fading to the clear glowing neon colour it was before.

Santana’s shoulder had bled out onto Quinn’s sheets. The colour on the outer rims of the stain was a sickening toxic maroon but the location closer to her healing wound was a much healthier oxidized blood tone. Santana was taking gulps of air, her body taunt, straining off the bed. She was still caught in the pain the runes had caused her. 

Quinn and Brittany are immediately at either sides of Santana. The healing brunette brushed Quinn’s bangs from her eyes. “Seemed to have ruined your princess cot.” 

“Santy…” Santana squeezed Brittany’s hand when she cries a little.

“Yeah, I’m really mad at your for ruining this one of the kind Ikea bed.” The head cheerleader joked through her own tears and leant down to kiss Santana’s sweaty forehead. “Get some sleep, S.”

“What, I don’t get a bath?” Santana joked one last time as her eyes drifted close and Morpheus welcomed her into his arms.

“Mom, will Santana fully recover?” 

Judy Fabray crossed her arms and sighed. “That depends on her will; the Runes have completely drained the poison from her blood stream.” Judy nods to Rachel. “It’s the quickest way to combat this type of deadly poison, but the catch is the way the contaminate is drag out, Santana felt the poison run its entire course as it was drained from her.”

The older blonde shakes her head. “When you were fighting the acolytes of the Necromancer, Santana was moving a lot and it shows.” The woman crossed her arms. “There will most likely be a scar, you are lucky the mares were only shades of what they once were, if they were the real live deals, Santana would have died after falling into rage.”

A voice reprovingly mocked. “She is your mate you should have been aware of-”

Brittany spun around and glared at Quinn’s father. The man was self-righteous and crude, it was also a community known thing that he has another ‘pack’ in the town next to Lima, his other family. Still he would sometimes drop back into town to see to this pack. Though the humans thought he was estranged from his wife and daughters it was hardly the case. “We had to guard Rachel!”

Brittany’s careless assessment caused Rachel to ashamedly duck her head. ‘Quinn has Santana’s well being held dearly in her mind.’

“Rach, they can’t hear you if you aren’t in physical contact with them.”

Quinn’s father rose a disapprovingly eyebrow and grasped his daughter’s arm to yank her close. “Can you hear her, have you’ve gotten more talented and haven’t informed me when you’ve suddenly surpassed touch telepathy?!” He throttled his daughter closer to him still, making Quinn inhale the stale stench of overpriced liqueur.

Russell was a fairly unstable man. His feelings for his family were unsound and at best frenzied. His approach was shown in a way that far surpassed any normal form of familial love. Mrs. Fabray drinks herself into a blitz to blind herself of his behaviour and each daughter has been trained to accept it.

Brittany shoved Russell’s hand off Quinn and looped her arm around the shaken blonde’s body. The man wounds his hand back ready to slap Quinn even with Brittany in between him and his daughter. He would never dare hit Brittany or Santana but he definitely has the right to discipline his daughter in any way he deemed fit.

Quinn closed her eyes, ready for the oncoming blow. Brittany was sweet but the blonde knew that Quinn was still in her father’s family and demented steel chokehold. 

The roar that sounded from Rachel was deafening. Her paw moved lightning fast and smacked into the side of Russell’s ribs. The unprepared man was hardly knocked back and came out of the blow just as angry. This is his house, his family and god knows no one in their right mind would dare to lay a hand on the alpha of a house. Unless this pup was evoking a fight.

It was direct challenged to his entitlement. The oxford dress shirt shredded off his back as he half shifted. Tusks plunged out the sides of his mouth and a rough dirt colour coat sprouted all over his body. Where the hell did this runt come from? He has never seen her before. When he had first entered the room he had ignore the insignificant nobody and courteously allowed the filth to remain in his vicinity.

How dare this cretin abuse his kind gesture with violence?! Russell was half morphed; he knew that was all he needed, he had supremacy and it would take little to wreck this young upstart. His eyes were burning black; the look he shifted at Rachel was pure murder.

“Father dearest, please don’t mind Rachel.” Quinn had loosened herself from Brittany’s hold and placed a hand on her Father’s rough pelt. “I’ll make it up to you late.” Quinn’s hand instinctively twirled in smooth relaxing circles.

The sight made Rachel’s heart hammer angrily in her ribcage and Brittany’s stomach to flip flop uneasily. But Brittany was a submissive person and has long learned her place in her society and hers in another’s household. 

Rachel on the other hand has not. ‘Quinn, Brittany, I want to hurt him.’

Quinn gulped, ‘It’s okay, try calm thoughts, everything is fine.’ knowing full well that her father would not hesitate in killing Rachel if the chance was offered up. ‘Brittany, tend to Rachel.’ Quinn ordered as her father shifted back into full human. 

Judy had averted her eyes from the whole scene, only now does she casually stroll up to Russell. “How was work today, dear?”

“You wouldn’t understand.” Russell snorted and back hands Judy across her face, the deafening smack causes the older woman to tumble onto the ground. “Don’t ever let scamps like this little fucker.” He paused to point at Rachel. “Into my domain, next time she’s in here, I’ll rip out her throat.”

Russell was hot blooded but well versed in their community’s way. This pup was of no noble birth nor backed by any scent he knows to watch out for. He grabs onto Quinn and then pushed his daughter onto the ground next to his sobbing wife. “Dinner better be ready.”


	8. Strife!

Rachel in her whole entire life had never been witness to domestic violence and to see it done right before her caused her vision to mist red. But it wasn’t until Russell pushed Quinn down did something in her crack, rupturing her body from mind. The moment Russell went out of the bedroom she felt shocked back into life and charged after the man.

Rachel’s claws dug into Russell’s back. The pelt that had been there before had receded when he shifted back to his human form; leaving the monster of a man’s back unprotected from Rachel’s dismembering talons. The momentum of Rachel’s attack carried the man and creature crashing into the expensive mahogany railings. The pair splintered through the banister and plummeted over the plush carpeted stairs.

Russell snarled and ripped around; he yanked on Rachel’s antlers, clenched his body back and used the momentum to fling Rachel over his shoulder. The starlet twisted in midair and reproduced Santana’s move with the stadium lights perfectly. Slamming her powerful legs into the wall she was flung in, Rachel projected herself back at Russell. The Fabray met Rachel head on with his fully shifted form of a matted, dirt moss coloured Boar. The bigger and older Shifter struck up with his tusked snout and threw Rachel onto her side. As Rachel lurched back onto her feet Russell took her momentarily pause to phase back into his bipedal stance. Rachel charged at him during his mid morph and slashed her claws across his shifting face. The laceration caused a cascade of blood to drizzle down Russell’s face distractingly into his eye as he reached his full stature in his bipedal beast form the cut grew to distort his complexion even more. 

Russell shot out his hooved hands and pounded Rachel onto her side. The younger Shifter bellowed and scythed her forepaws efficiently across Russell’s legs. The man howled and his hold loosened allowing Rachel to tear away from his vicinity. Rachel found her back legs bumping into a coffee table and barely managed to dodge the swing of a pair of protruding tusks. 

Rachel’s fully shifted form was definitely bigger than Russell’s half morphed state. Though what Russell lacked in size in this form aided his mobility, giving him opportunities passed to Rachel’s fang and clawed guard.

The man lunged at the younger Shifter just as Rachel was about to pike her antlers through the man’s abdomen. Russell clasped his arms around Rachel’s neck with a choke hold, immediately he tightened his grip to cease the flow of oxygen intake. Throwing his entire weight down he burrowed Rachel’s face into the floor.

Rachel kicked and pushed but was unable to loosen his hold. 

Quinn and Brittany had watched the whole scene petrified. No one had ever in Fabray’s household gone against Russell’s wishes and Brittany had very little notion or inclination to go against a family alpha. But as the light from Rachel’s eyes began to fade both blondes rushed towards the combating pair, fully intending to fight the Shifter-boar off their mate.

As Quinn and Brittany swiftly approached Rachel’s trembling form, the starlet caught a glimpse of their distress and it throttled her into action. 

“Stay back.” Rachel spluttered past the frothing building in her mouth due to the choke hold. She strained against the man incarcerating her movements and forced her body to morph into a bipedal form. The sensation scorched through her muscles and bones, being so young she hadn’t a clue that maintaining and even initiating a bipedal beast form was one of the harder moves a Shifter could try to accomplish. It required a lot of mental focus and physical control and while Russell had his age to teach him how to alter his body to his whims, Rachel only had her instincts. The brunette’s spine whipped straight and protruded awkwardly through her skin until her sinews and epidermis crawled back over the sharp bone. Her digits elongated and her body morphed into a slimmer upright form. While her legs allowed her to stand on even ground with Russell, her arms were definitely longer. Russell’s half shifted form was bulkier and heavier giving Rachel both flexibility and reach but less raw power. 

The man’s hold had yet to tighten around the younger Shifter’s neck due to her almost instantaneous morphing his shock would cost him greatly. Rachel trenched her fingers into Russell’s forearms and yanked as hard as she could. The more Rachel tore at Russell’s arm the looser and steadier amount of oxygen filled her lungs. Rachel pushed off the ground and with Russell hanging his grip around her shoulders slammed his body with her back into a glass cabinet. Even with the flecks of glass embedded into the man’s back he ducked his head to dig his teeth deep into the crook of Rachel’s neck.

She roared and repeatedly bashed them back until they went clean through the cabinet and into the plastered walls and cement. Each time Russell’s head connected with something behind him he only tightened the clench his teeth had on Rachel’s neck. She was exceedingly lucky that Russell hadn’t quite angled his bite correctly into her jugular. His jaws had closed around a thick patch of fur which clogged up his maw or he would have managed to sever the artery and splash his carpets with red.

Though the more Rachel butted the man’s head into the cement walls, the more his vision blackened. With the shards of glass jammed into their bodies and with Russell momentarily dazed, the starlet swivelled the man face first into the broken cabinet and drew his arms behind him.

“You appeared to enjoy caressing things that do not belong to you.” Rachel intoned mirthlessly as she bashed his face into the wall to emphasize each of her words; her eyes were an endless obsidian pool. “Perhaps I can rectify that.”

With one foot on the man’s crunched spin Rachel heaved with all her might on Russell’s arms until a sickening pop of sockets and a roar of a bleeding combatant filled the younger shifters ears.

“I yield, I fucking yield!” Russell hollered through a broken lip and cracked tusk, now in too much pain to struggle away from the claws gutted clean through his forearms. 

“Not good enough.” Rachel answered, her lips pulling back to reveal a gleaming malicious smile. The antlered Shifter gradually increased her tug in all intent and purposes of reaching the goal of fully ridding Russell of both his arms.

“Rachel, stop, you’re going to kill him!” Quinn cried out, no matter how dysfunctional or abusive her relationship with her father was, he was still her father and somewhere in her was the girl that always hoped daddy dearest would be like the parental units of her friends. Loving and proud of her and even though he would never treat her like a proper guardian she still felt like she owed him that much to save his life. She both resented and cared for him and made her unable to just sit idly by as her mate disjointed her father.

Rachel turned her steely gaze to Quinn and blinked. Her mind was in a state of a full alpha, she had no need to heed the plead of her mate and the monster in her paws was deserving of his punishment.

Quinn placed a hand on Rachel’s face and tucked herself against the side of her antlered mate’s body. “Please.”

Brittany approached Rachel’s other side and looped her arm around the fur covered one of Rachel’s. “Rach…”

Rachel growled and snapped her fingers out of Russell’s arms. The man wailed as his appendages hung shattered at his sides. His keening pitiful cry echoing throughout the house until Ms. Fabray stumbled down the stairs and sat next to his flank. 

With his face still tucked into the walls and broken furniture Russell growled. “Exile.”

Quinn gasped out a sob and moved next to her father and reached out to her mother but Ms. Fabray dropped her gaze from her blonde child. “Father, I-”

“Get. Out.” 

Rachel dipped her head down next to a torn ear of Russell and thundered out a roar. “You dare make her shed one tear?!”

Russell had the good grace to control the level of shivering that trembled through his body but kept his head and voice down. “That’s my decree.”

“You can take your decree and shove it.” Santana grounded out as she winced her way towards them; Brittany quickly untangled herself from Rachel and moved to support Santana. “A patient can’t get a wink of sleep in this hell hole.”

Rachel whined when she smelt the blood dripping out of Santana’s wound and made her way to the short Latina. The singer gently paved her tongue across the damaged area of the girl’s right shoulder. 

Santana weakly shoved at Rachel’s face to stop the towering Shifter’s loving ministrations. The complete darkness had receded back to obsidian rings in the starlet’s eyes, allowing the specks of gold flecks to glimmer in her worried gaze. “Let’s get Rachel a talisman and go to my place.”

“Is it safe to move Santana?” Quinn asked as she wiped away the last of her tears. 

When Ms. Fabray didn’t answer Quinn gripped her mother’s hand in hers. “You can ignore my existence for the rest of our lives after you answer me, is it safe to move her?”

Ms. Fabray glanced anxiously at Russell and then nodded mutely.

Quinn laughed with disgust at the family she now held no part in. “Brittany, go get our talismans.”

The dancer nodded and after seating Santana gently on the half of the sofa that survived the fight, quickly sprinted through the wreckage towards Quinn’s room.

“You don’t get to steal anything from this Clan.” Russell ordered, his face still drolly nestled in the debris of his cabinet and wall.

“We are taking the talismans, I’m not going to stalk out naked from this place so we’ll have to shift and unless you want the whole neighbourhood to see a bunch of mythical animals.”

“Thieves, I borne a rogue into our household, fed her and housed her.” Russell grumbled. “There’s no gratitude, so much entitlement.” 

Rachel felt a rumble course through her chest and marched back towards Russell she was nearly about to subdue him again if it wasn’t for the fact that she finally took notice of his mutilated back and shredded arms. The diva gasped and glanced down at her blood coated hands.

The fight had been a glazed dream, one moment she was fretting by Santana’s bed and the next she had felt rage seep through and overwhelm her senses. Her vision had blotted out in red and all she wanted to do was to take.Russell.down. Rachel shifted her stance as the pads of her foot crunched on a piece of broken glass. The Shifter shook her body and quirked her ears down as pieces of debris and glass clinked onto the ground. Violence had never been used as the method of handling any confrontational situations in her life and yet here was the mangled body of one Mr. Fabray.

Though even if part of Rachel was regretful at the damaged she had caused there was also a part of her that tinged with pride at overcoming an obviously more experienced fighter. Rachel hissed when she pressed a hand to the sore and lightly bleeding patch near her neck. 

Brittany came down the stairs at this time and motioned at Rachel. The Shifter bent down to allow the talisman to wrap around her antler. 

“Now both you and Santy are going to be all bruised up.”

“I feel fine, everything I acquired now are just blemishes.” Rachel reached out and cupped Brittany’s frowning face in her paws and caressed gently. “I am just glad you are unscathed.”

Brittany hugged Rachel, sighing happily when Rachel wrapped both her arms and tail around the blonde. Santana watch calmly on the couch and found herself begrudgingly impressed at the level of carnage that Rachel managed to dish out. 

Quinn walked up to the other blonde and placed her hand on Rachel’s back. “Let’s go.”

Brittany detangled herself from Rachel and passed over two more talismans.

‘Quinn, are you feeling alright?’

‘I don’t want to talk about this here, can we just leave.’ Quinn went over to the coach and placed a talisman on Santana’s wrist and leaned in to place a kiss on the drowsy brunette. ‘Hey my brave kitten, you still all here?’

‘Mmmrgh.’

‘Very eloquent.’ Quinn knew that Santana would not be able to hold onto her shifted form and she supposed that she would just have to carry her mate in her arms. Then there was the issue of clothes. “Can I borrow the car, I will return it right after.”

‘Perhaps I can carry her?’ Rachel queried as she knelt down next to the couch and placed an inquiring hand on Santana’s knee. 

‘Whatever, just don’t throw me over your shoulder, I’m not a sack of potatoes nor am I a damsel in distress.’

‘You are no damsel, Santana.” Rachel quipped back as she scooped the other brunette into her arms gently. Santana huffed but closed her eyes as she tucked her head into Rachel’s soft fur.

Without another word Quinn led the group out of the house and both blondes shifted quickly in the yard. As Rachel eased Santana into one crook of her arm to close the door behind them Russell Fabray’s voice followed her steps.

“Judy, are you slow?” A quiet pause is where Ms. Fabray probably flittered nervously to Russell’s side. “Fucking fix my arms!”


	9. Lopez Residence

Rachel twitched when she heard the tone of voice Russell was using towards Judy. She caught Quinn’s eye and gave her a nervous smile that she hoped showed that she sympathised with the blonde. 

Quinn gave a watery expression back, she flapped her wings in agitation and turned her head to face away from her house’s door but her ears still perked back to catch Russell’s grumblings. Brittany leaned up and perched her paws against the Shifter-equine’s neck and nibbled at Quinn’s ears. 

‘Queeny.’ Brittany pathed softly, using a childhood nickname she had for Quinn whenever the other blonde became stressed. ‘Let’s go to Santy’s.’

The singer carefully maneuvered her sleeping bundle so that Santana was more comfortably settled in her arms. The feisty Latina was out cold again and softly snoring. “I agree, let us leave this place.”

Quinn tapped her hoof onto the cement a couple of times and glanced at the place she had called home for the majority of her life once more and then with conviction galloped into flight. Brittany broke into a calm pace after Quinn and Rachel followed suit, cautious not to jostle Santana too much. 

The diva was thankful that she was at least back into a bipedal state. She found it much easier to keep balance and pace than her fully shifted form, or at least was more use to moving in this way since she had never been aware of her heritage. 

‘Rachel, are you okay, do you need me to carry Santana?’

‘No, I am strangely not fatigued after that last bout.’

‘That was actually really cool!’ 

‘That was my father.’

Brittany glimpsed up at Quinn sheepishly. ‘I mean, it’s just very rare to see an alpha get so whipped.’

Quinn snorted and remained silent.

‘Quinn, I apologize for my earlier outburst, I would normally never stoop to violence.’ Rachel offered up, her voice sincere and fretting for severely injuring Quinn’s father. 

‘You have nothing to be sorry for, and it’s not unusual for our kind to break into brawls, both intellectual and physical prowess are desirable traits.’ Quinn answered back and when she felt Rachel’s anxiety she supplied. ‘My mother will tend to my father’s wounds; there won’t be any lasting damage.’

‘That is a relief to know.’ Rachel let out a soft breath and quickened her pace to match Brittany’s. 

‘If S was awake Russell wouldn’t have dared manhandle Quinn in front of her.’ Brittany added. ‘Santy would have made such a fuss.’

‘And it would have been in her right.’ Quinn neighed and started her descent when the Lopez mansion came into view. She phased through the electric magic barrier that domed over the estate and morphed back into her human form to push open the gates for her approaching mates.

‘What do these rights pertain to; because I heard you mention them before and…’ Rachel’s mouth dropped when she approached a building even larger than Quinn’s had been. The starlet raised an eyebrow recalling that Santana had mentioned living in Lima Heights Adjacent and this was definitely not the improvised neighbourhood. 

……………………………………………………………………………………………………....

A pair of towering, bulky fellas in black tailored suits opened the thick twin doors to welcome the girls into the house. While they were impressive in size their features were only what one could call plain and rather unremarkable though not off-putting. The one with buzzed-cut hair professionally kept his eyes leveled and handed burgundy silk robes to the nude Quinn and Brittany.

The modern exterior of the house hid the archaic and opulent interior. The building itself had looked as an impressive construct among the other large houses in their neighbourhood. Though it appeared to fit in with the rest of the homes in this street the inside resembled a castle. The walls were a combination of solid granite stone slabs and bark. Where the stone ended the foliage easily picked up to construct a high arching ceiling dangling with plant life. The roots of the bark carved up into the walls and instead of cracking the rock the plants aided in the cohesion of the building. The floor was made of warm brown wood panels that appeared to have been grown for the very purpose. There were no lines to separate individual strips, only small crevices between large boards that originate from different trees but come together as one whole floor that stretch from wall to wall.

The doorways had hand carved trims depicting varying kinds of mythical creatures who were frozen in an endless chase of one another along the walls. A large round bowl filled with clear glass pebbles sat elevated one a marble topped birch end table, the leaves of the miniature pomegranate shrub tumbled from the bowl and curled over the legs of the table. A wide doorway stood between two winding staircases that veer d off to the left and right upper levels. There were beautifully carved pieces of furniture and rich tapestries to line the walls while every corner of the mansion housed a plant of some kind. 

“Ms. Fabray, Ms. Pierce and Madame.” The fiery red-haired one nodded at Rachel. “If you would please hand over Ms. Lopez we will place her in bed.”

“I would rather you show me to her room.” Rachel realized the individual continued to move forward and she had an armful of Santana to contend with so she warned them off with a growl.

“Rachel is with us, open Santana’s wing of the house.” 

The redheaded one clasped his hand over his heart and nodded. “Right this way.” 

The three trailed after the lumbering butler until they reached the end of the left corridor, he reached up and pushed his hand into a small hallowed out alcove. Rachel watched as the area around his hand sizzled and his skin became crisped black, vivid bright lines skittered over his finger tips and up his arms. Rachel noted that his body soon resembled the molten surface of the earth’s crust.

The singer pulled Santana’s still frame closer to her own. Quinn noted the tensing in Rachel’s body and placed her hand on the shorter girl’s. ‘They are golems; enchanted beings that are bound to Santana’s father.’

The wall in the corridor split open and the now golem with the shifting plates for skin stepped back to allow the girls to walk past him. 

‘Bound?’

Quinn nodded. ‘Yes, they can be created by powerful incantations and spells, though lately there’s been a small revolt because of their growth into sentience, not all of them really ever reach that stage but the more time passes the more they change.’

‘Are the one’s here sentient?’

Brittany shrugged noncommittally. “You’ll have to ask, S.”

‘They are quite polite.’

‘Trained and built that way.’ Santana answered from Rachel’s arms.

“Santana!” Rachel said happily while hugging the brunette and rubbed her muzzled against the Latina’s neck. 

“Goddamn it, Berry, I’m not a stuff toy.” Santana verbally admonished but didn’t physically push away from Rachel. 

Brittany sped up a bit and opened another ornate door and pushed a chocolate burgundy curtain aside to reveal a black suede carpeted oval room with navy leaf-patterned walls. A lofty Eastern King sized russet bed sat against the middle wall of the room on top of what looked like white tiger skin, its headboard had the shapes and outlines of pomegranate leaves and bark etched into it. Cushiony metallic blue pillows perched along the headboard and blocky candles sat on two small tables that guarded the sides of the bed. There was a simple white vanity that sat outside the door to Santana’s private washroom. Another door led to what Rachel could only presume to be Santana’s walk in closet. Everything was spotless and well taken cared for down to the clawed feet of the bed and tables. 

‘You live here?’

“Obviously.” Santana replied and nudged weakly at Rachel’s ribs. “You can put me down now.”

The singer gently slid the girl forward and waited with her clawed hands around Santana’s hips for her to steady. Brittany moved forward and looped an arm around Santana’s waist. “Let’s go get you cleaned up before taking nap, kay?”

Santana nodded mutely and allowed Brittany to walk her towards her washroom but not before reaching out her hand for Quinn and tugging the blonde to come with her. ‘C’mon.’

‘Rach, you wanna come?’

Santana bristled slightly at Brittany’s invitation to Rachel but when she turned back to glare at the diva she didn’t voice her agitation. She was slowly but surely becoming used to Rachel’s presence though the idea of being less irked by the songstress bothered Santana more than Rachel herself. 

Rachel nodded and followed the three girls. As it turns out Santana’s bathroom was more like a private spa center. The washroom was big enough to comfortably fit the entire Glee club for a dance recital. Midway into the room the milky marbled ground sloped down into a slow decline that allowed the occupants of the bath to wade into sizzling waters, the facets were pumping out streams of heated water the moment Santana approached and the pooled sized basin was magically enchanted to keep the steamy temperatures to her liking. To the side was a tripled sinked counter surrounded by a polished silver rimmed mirror and further in was a white tiled corner with clear curved glass.

Quinn guided Santana into the glass corner and it was now that Rachel noticed that it was full body shower. 

“I guess that means we can have our shower now.” Santana gave Quinn’s body an appreciative glance over.

The blonde laughed; glad that at least Santana had the energy to tease since she knew there was no way even Santana could have the energy after the cleansing to participate in their favourite physical activity. 

While the two co-captains busied themselves in the shower Rachel politely averted her gaze and looked to see Brittany sitting on the smooth malachite stone edge of the bath right where the water skimmed the edge. The dancer was watching with a smile on her lips at the showering duo and blinked up at Rachel. “We’ll shower after them; S doesn’t like it when we just roll into the tub with so much dirt.”

“I can appreciate her notion for cleanliness.”

“There’s also the fact that I don’t want to cut myself on the glass that’s still probably stuck in your fur since you can’t even shift back to human form.” Santana said as she and a much cleaner Quinn exited the full body shower fixture. 

Rachel pouted since what Santana stated was true and while Brittany went into the glass corner Rachel turned on one of the sinks to wash her bloodied paws. The singer frowned with revulsion at the drying evidence of her earlier strife with Russell. 

“Rach, you coming?” Brittany asked, poking her head out of the glass door of the shower. 

“Umm, I prefer to wait for my turn.” Rachel replied, her face feeling expectantly warm. It was hard enough ignoring the three naked girls all within arm’s reach of her, she didn’t need to get cornered with Brittany to make her feel any more needy.

“But I want you in here.” Brittany whispered dejectedly, her lips pursed and eyes taking a very puppy dog quality.

Rachel glanced helplessly at a snickering Santana and grinning Quinn. When neither provided any aid the starlet took one more glimpse at Brittany’s pleading expression and knew she wasn’t going to put up any more resistance. Rachel meekly entered the shower corner while Brittany squealed. 

The shower cubicle offered abundant room for both girls to easily take up a corner but of course Brittany stood close enough to Rachel to cause the singer to gulp and back into the wall of water pumps. After such a stressed filled day the diva sighed with relief at the sensation, Brittany smiled and pressed a button and the sprouts started gushing out frothy pomegranate scented soap over the pair for a good half a minute until the sprays returned to mainly pouring water. 

The willowy blonde worked the suds through her blonde tresses and Rachel watched mesmerized. The singer felt dry in the mouth and wet in a completely inappropriate area as her eyes followed the path the bubbles ran along Brittany’s muscular abdomen and over that impossibly toned ass. 

“Stop leering at her.” Santana warned with little malice.

“I am trying not to!” Rachel turned away from Brittany and closed her eyes to let the water drizzle over her face. “You know it would be great if you could stop reading my thoughts.”

“I would if you stopped broadcasting every flipping thing that crawled from your crazy, little, egotistical-.” 

‘Santana, hush.’ Quinn chided. ‘We’ll have to teach her.” 

Rachel started working the soap over her fur the best she could and wagged her tail when Brittany’s hands joined in on washing her back. “Thannnk you.”

Rachel turned around to return the favour. “Brittany, would you like me to wash you back?”

“Sure, thanks!” Brittany grinned up and held up a wash cloth but didn’t turn around. Rachel was left staring down at the girl that was usually taller than her and shuffled to circle around Brittany without actually touching the blonde. 

“I think you guys got most of the debris, come into the bath.” Quinn suggested.

“This is more fun though!”

“Brittany, you’re making her feel uncomfortable.”

Brittany bit her lip and clicked another switch to turn off the water. “Alright.”

Rachel followed after Brittany and stepped out onto the floor, soaking wet from the sprays and instinctively wanting to lessen the weight in her fur, shook her whole body and splattered the others with droplets of water.

“Berry, fuck, stop.” 

Rachel sheepishly smiled at the other occupants of the room. “Sorry, I normally never, I usually do not have fur to contend with and-”

‘Shhhh, come into the water.’ Quinn held out her hand and waited for Rachel to wade into the waters.

‘You’re lucky we’re all wet anyways.” Santana groused and moved to the deeper end of the pool so she could lean her hands up onto the side and place her head on top of her arms. The wound on Santana’s right shoulder looked like a blackened sun with its tendrils dripping down her shoulder. The bite mark where the mare’s sharp canines had punctured was the darkest while the flesh at the center of the scar was scored over too smoothly. The trailing lines were the areas where the poison flowed strongest and was thankfully stopped before it could spread to the rest of Santana’s body. 

Brittany cried out and touched the singed appearing skin. “Santy…”

“It’s okay, B, really, it doesn’t even hurt anymore.” Santana noticed that Brittany was still looking quite ready to burst into tears. “It’s like a war trophy, think of those achievements you get on Xbox, it’s cool.”

The dancer continued to trail her fingers over the wound experimentally, watching to see if Santana was hiding any pain. When Santana only started to purr, Brittany sighed happily and kissed the shorter girl’s shoulder. Quinn moved in to Santana’s other side and placed a hand firmly on the Latina’s unscarred shoulder. 

“It was my fault Santana, I really should have paid more attention, I’m so sorry.” 

Santana turned fully to face Quinn and clasped her finger tips on the blonde’s chin to tilt her gaze up to meet hers. “It was no one’s fault so there’s nothing to be sorry about, how are you feeling about being exiled.”

Quinn quietly sniffled which caused Santana to envelope the taller girl into her arms and run her fingers lightly through Quinn’s hair. “I think I don’t need to tell you that you’re always going to be part of this clan.”

“It’s always nice to hear you say it out loud.”

Rachel sat at the shallower end of the water and tried to not feel too left out from the conversation. Glancing up, Rachel noticed that the ceiling was made of a dome of glass and the room was kept bright by the bulbs by the sink and the candles that surrounded that tub. Strangely the candles haven’t been splashed out when she had shaken her body.

“They can’t be put out by water, Berry.” Santana explained as she cupped a handful and poured it onto the candle, the flame didn’t even flicker. “The flames in this room are shifted away from any water that it comes in contact with, only by wind,” Santana blew at the candle to demonstrate. “Will the flames stop.” 

“That is very interesting; I appreciate you explaining that to me.” The shifted girl answered.

Quinn watched quietly, curious at Santana’s change in demeanor towards Rachel.

“I know you protected her when I couldn’t, thanks.” Santana tone was sincere and her eyes softened. 

“I just wished I could have done that to the mares that harmed you.” Rachel replied and stood in front of Santana, she dip her head and ran her tongue over Santana’s scar because it felt like the right thing to do.

Brittany looked over at Quinn for guidance and nodded when Quinn held up a finger to her lips to signal for silence.

“Where have you been this whole time?” Santana asked the question that has plagued her mind since becoming aware of Rachel’s Shifter status. It’s clear now that Rachel hadn’t intentionally hid herself from her Destined and wasn’t trying to harm her mates so the question now was who did. 

……………………………………………………………………………………………………....

A/N: My, Santana, what an awfully large bed you have. (Insert Coy expression here.)  
Also, I don’t know why but I think Brittany is a gamer ;3


	10. Parents

“Where have you been this whole time?” Santana asked the question that has plagued her mind since becoming aware of Rachel’s Shifter status. It’s clear now that Rachel hadn’t intentionally hid herself from her Destined and wasn’t trying to harm her mates so the question now was who did. 

“We have lived in the same area for our whole lives.”

“We don’t associate with Weeds normally.” Quinn explained. “Non-magic beings hold little interest for us.’’

“I still liked you even when I didn’t know you were a Shifter.” Brittany provided as she wrapped Santana in her arms and placed her head on the Latina’s shoulder. 

“I am grateful that you did, however, I never meant to conceal anything, I was not even aware I was capable of morphing into,” At this point Rachel motioned with her hand up and down her own body. “This.”

“Let’s get dried off and continue this outside.” Quinn motioned.

Santana shrugged, quite pleased with staying in the waters but rolled her eyes and started up the incline when both blondes moved, only to stumble. Rachel had a paw around Santana’s front in an instant and scooped the smaller girl up into her arms. “I think you should not overexert yourself, you went through quite an ordeal.”

The Latina turned bright red at getting carried again, she didn’t like appearing weak in front of anyone but she made exceptions for her mates. Frustratingly enough Santana had to admit that Rachel was undeniably giving off the vibe of one of her Destined. She wasn’t as vehemently against the notion of Rachel being an integral part of her life now that she realized the singer had never deliberately lied and hid her past to them. The Latina saw no more reason to resist against the gravitational force she felt for the singer though it didn’t mean she had to show her other mates that she was starting to accept Rachel; Santana crossed her arms and pouted when she caught the bemused looks from her blondes. 

Quinn and Brittany were already drying themselves with large towels that had been left on the marble counter. 

“Rachel, can you do something for me.” Santana asked with an innocent grin. 

“I suppose, what do you require?” Rachel asked amicably. 

“Just say you’ll do it for me.” Santana blinked her eyes shrewdly up at the antlered Shifter. “I promise it’s nothing bad.”

Rachel looked skeptically down at Santana but then assented. “Very well.”

Santana winked mischievously at Quinn who had looked over at the moment with a raised eyebrow. The Latina looped her arm around Rachel’s neck and pulled till Rachel’s ear was tilted near her lips.

“Shake till your fur’s dry.”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………....

After going through another round of towels, several for Rachel, the four sat facing one another in a circle on the bed. On the behest of the singer everyone had don on silk robes while Rachel stayed in her furs.

Brittany hadn’t bothered to tie her robe close, making Rachel keep her head and eyes down least she caught a glimpse of Brittany’s nudity.

The dancer busied herself with the robe’s ribbon to create a makeshift tie for herself. “Santy, check me out.”

Santana laughed, towel still on her shoulders, one hand lethargically rubbing the cloth through her drying mane. “Sheer genius, here you can do mine as well.” 

Rachel groaned and raised her hands up to cover her face. “Must you really?”

“Don’t be a prude, Berry.” Santana answered with a grin.

“Keep drying you hair, S, you’ll get a headache in the morning if you don’t.” Quinn said then got up to kneel behind Santana to vigorously shake the towel through the long licorice coloured strands. “Rachel, we still need to talk about your Shifter origins.”

“I think it would be best if we discussed this with Shelby seeing that I have not the slightest clue of my abilities.” Rachel paused and moved to stand up. “Its getting late and since I cannot morph back into my human form and return home may I use someone’s phone?”

“Why don’t we just ask your dads?”

Rachel blinked quickly. “If they knew of my Shifter origins they would have divulged the information to me and not have hidden it.”

“Rachel-” 

The diva swung her legs off the bed and swiftly made her way to the door. “I left my belongings at Quinn’s house and I will presume you all did as well, I will inquire the where abouts of your telephone from the bodyguards in the foyer.”

“Can’t say I can ever get bored of seeing Berry dramatically storm out of a room.” Santana huffed and leaned into Quinn’s hands.

“Be nice, S.” Brittany scolded but then kissed Santana’s cheek. 

“She’s probably just as annoyed and confused about why all this is happening to her, give her some time.”

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Rachel stalked out of the bedroom and allowed the door to click close behind her. She crossed her arms and clacked down the hallway back towards the golems. The singer glanced down at her cloven hooves and wonder how her front paws had retain a canine wolf shape and yet her back paws and feet now resembled a antelope’s or deer’s feet. The others didn’t appear to be as mismatched as she, well other than Quinn, however the blonde was some kind of Pegasus, what in the world was she? 

Rachel was so caught up in her musings she ended up bumping into the molten golem from earlier.

“Missum?”

“Oh, my apologies, I was not paying attention to my surroundings.” Rachel gazed at the fiery pools of ember that sat where the redhead’s eyes had been when she had first met him… it?

The golem held up a sleek cordless telephone. “Ms. Lopez sent for the phone.”

“Yes, well.” Rachel took the phone quickly from the charred hands and wondered how the piece of plastic hadn’t melted into a puddle in the golems reach. “Thank you, may I ask for your name?”

The golem’s face showed an expression that could be recognized as surprise. “Magmus, missum.” 

“Then thank you, Magmus.” Rachel smiled politely as the golem clapped his fist over his heart and ambled further away to allow the singer some privacy. 

Rachel held the phone gingerly in her hands. She was sure that it appeared quite comical to have such a miniature looking item in her big hands. The diva sighed, she supposed she should call her parents first since the sky had been black during her bath and she had no doubt that they would be fretting from not hearing from her after so long.

Not even after half a ring the call connected and LeRoy Berry’s near hysterical voice could be heard. “Hello, Rachel, is it you?”

“Yes, daddy, I am so sorry for not calling earlier.” Rachel shuffled about and used her hand to hold the elbow of the one keeping the phone to her ear. 

“Rachel, oh thank god, do you know how worried me and your dad have been, you normally always call when you won’t be coming home on time!” LeRoy took a breath and then continued. “I thought something happened to you, young lady you come home right this instant, I thought you had gotten yourself in some kind of trouble.”

“No, daddy, I am fine-”

“Well, how were we supposed to know that?” LeRoy huffed. “Your cell rang a couple of times and then by the third call everything went to voicemail, do you need us to come pick you up, where are you, are you in some unsavory corner, we won’t judge of course but we don’t want you there any longer!”

“Daddy, I-”

“I’ll get my keys right now, HIRAM get the car keys!” 

“Daddy! If you would just-”

“If your dad would just keep them in the cute trinket holder by the side of the door I wouldn’t have to open a whole investigation every time-”

“Rachelah?”

“Dad!” Rachel sighed happily when Hiram’s calmer tone appeared. “I am just at my friend’s house at the moment, do you remember Quinn? I am very sorry for causing you worry.” 

There was a pregnant pause then Hiram asked tactfully. “Can we come get you?”

“No thank you, I will come home in the morning, is that acceptable?”

Another pause as Hiram informed LeRoy what Rachel just said and another click and she was on speakerphone. “Rachel, we can explain everything if you tell us where you’re at.”

Rachel shut her eyes and switched the phone to her other paw. It was sounding like both her parents were aware of her, unique, predicament. She knew she had to approach this clearheadedly but blurted out. “Did you two know?!”

“Now, Rachel, don’t take that tone with us.” Hiram started.

“Calm down, Rache!” LeRoy added.

“I think I can feel enraged as I please!” Rachel threw free hand into the air in exasperation and swished her tail. “All this time, you knew!”

“Baby girl, you need to calm down, you may feel drawn to Quinn and if you’re in her vicinity you need to control you emotions or you might-”

“I shifted already.”

There was a lapse of a good two minutes where neither side said a word. 

“Can we please come to you, we won’t make you go anywhere you don’t want but it’s imperative that we tell you why you had to be hidden.” Hiram’s voice was placating.

“Please, baby girl.” LeRoy was pleading and it broke Rachel’s heart to hear her parents sound so tormented. 

“I am at Santana Lopez’s residence though I am not quite sure where that is located.”

“We’ll be over shortly; the Lopez family is quite influential in the hierarchy.” Hiram replied. “I thought you were with the youngest Fabray?”

“There had been a complication at Quinn’s house.” Rachel answered in a pinched tone.

“We’ll be over in 45.”

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Rachel walked back into Santana’s room and dejectedly sat at the end of the bed. “I hope you do not mind my parents coming over, they apparently knew.”

“Well duh.” Santana said.

“Santy!” Brittany pouted while Quinn gave the brunette a sharp disapprovingly glare though that only got a sneer out of Santana. “I told her so!”

Rachel’s ears flattened against her head and she drooped her head. “Yes, yes you did.”

The utter defeat in the normally enthusiastic singer caused Santana to frown; it greatly bothered her that the girl sounded so crushed. Santana tapped her talisman that sat by a side table. “Both Berry’s have admittance into the house.”

Rachel glanced back at Santana and tilted her head. 

“My talisman lets me command the golems.”

“I see.”

“You look rather tired Rachel, maybe you want to catch a nap before your parents arrive?” Quinn asked with a soft comforting smile.

Rachel blinked tiredly back at Quinn and gritted her teeth when she saw the hidden sorrow that reflected in the blonde’s eyes. Quinn had just been exiled from her own home because of her fight with Russell and the blonde was still trying to cheer her up. The singer bit her lip and climbed onto the bed to sit next to Quinn. She really was selfish and a diva, always caught up in her own drama. Her parents still loved her and had always treated her kindly, them lying to her seemed so insignificant compare to Quinn’s expulsion. 

‘It wasn’t your fault, Rachel.’ Quinn tried to lessen the singer’s agitation and ran her fingers behind Rachel’s ear. 

“Sleep for now.” Santana pushed on Rachel’s shoulder until the large Shifter finally laid down onto the mattress, still being mindful that her antlers didn’t puncture the plush headboard. The Latina silently pulled the singer into her arms.

Brittany grinned and kissed Quinn on the neck before squirming over her and into Rachel’s furred chest. The blonde cheer captain laughed at Brittany’s behaviour and spooned into the taller girl’s back. Rachel naturally stretched out her arm and easily placed it around both Brittany and Quinn while moving her other to tentatively hold the hand Santana had on her waist. 

What with the fight happening before and now coming to the realization that her parents had hidden such a significant part of heritage from her made the singer incredibly weary. Rachel moved her head until her chin sat comfortably on Brittany’s head and gazed into Quinn’s soothing emerald eyes. 

Moments later Rachel became entangled in a nightmare.


	11. Meeting the In-laws

The chill is the source of the frost that slithers up the carriage windows but the weather isn’t what causes a shiver to run through the mother’s body. They exit the black cab and Shelby waits until the carriage is a speck in her vision before she continues down a path that leads into the surrounding forest. Her three year old daughter releases her mother’s hand and amuses herself by puffing up her cheeks and blowing out gust of hot air into the dark night winds. Rachel gleefully morphs into her Shifted form and attempts to snap her sharp teeth on the still visible clouds of air. 

Shelby smiles wistfully and wonders if it would always be hard to keep her child in her clothes.

Her inquisitive daughter grins when Shelby opens up her arms and scoops up toddler. “Do you remember Uncle LeRoy and Uncle Hiram?”

Rachel nods.

“You’re going to live with them for a while.”

Little Rachel trembles back into her human form, the cold causes no irritation to her soft skin. “Momma, I don’t wanna.”

“I know you do not wish to, but it is no longer safe to remain with me, my sweeting.”

Rachel scrunches up her face and feels hot tears roll down her cheeks.

“Shhhh, my little charmer.” Shelby caressed her daughter’s short curly hair and kissed her child’s forehead. “Shhhhhh, it’ll be fine soon.”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………....

She’s being jostled by the person holding her but the mood is heavy and the grip her new guardian has on her tiny body is too tight, too desperate, Rachel heeds the signs and remains silent.

Rachel blinks her eyes up at Hiram’s worry marred face and tangles her fingers into the man’s vest. She turns her head and sees LeRoy riding next to them on a black stallion much like their own.

She didn’t know it at the time but she was being galloped from a mystical realm to be hidden in the world of men. This buried memory would be forgotten for many years, she wouldn’t be able to remember the night as Shelby met up with the Berry’s nor the fight that had taken place when hired assassins were held back by the loyalist that had arrived with Hiram. 

Though now she would always recall the lingering of a incantation, the screech of steel and the smell of blood that chased her fathers and her out of the forest and realm she had inhabited and called home. 

……………………………………………………………………………………………………....

Rachel gasped for air when her dream released her into the waking realm, her hand automatically stiffened around the one Santana has on her hip and she leaned her cheek against Brittany’s. This world is warm and stationary, the air no longer whistles sharply against her wet cheeks but it doesn’t slow the rapid beating of the singer’s heart. Rachel is in a mix of hic ups and tears. Shelby, Shelby…she had always just been a name and to her, a sob story.

Her fathers have always been more than willing to tell Rachel about her mother. Though Rachel had little to no interest in the woman that she had thought had given her up willingly. Her fathers insisted on keeping a framed picture of Rachel’s mother on the mantle with the rest of their relatives but Rachel held no fondness for Shelby. 

Hiram had informed her that her mother had loved her dearly but could not provide for her hence why Rachel had to be place in their care. Rachel had thought of her mother as irresponsible and possibly young and naïve. LeRoy’s eyes constantly got watery when he spoke of Shelby’s childhood and how alike Rachel was to her. Rachel had continually assumed that LeRoy and Shelby and known each other in childhood or were neighbours. 

But there was more, wasn’t there. The way LeRoy’s voice spoke of Shelby held reverence and warmed with devotion. Hiram’s tone was that of gratitude, of a debt unpaid. 

Who was Shelby and what had happened? 

‘I don’t know darling, but we’ll figure it out together.’ Quinn’s eyes are open and tinged with concern.

Brittany shifted up to place a light kiss under Rachel’s jaw and used her fingertips to chase the droplets of tears aside. Santana remained silent but watchful as her hand tightened on Rachel’s hip.

Brittany moved her kisses up along Rachel’s jaw until she was able to peck the brunette on her lips. “At least you’re not stuck anymore.”

Rachel laughed through her tears when she realized that she was indeed back in her full human form. The diva moaned when Brittany’s last movement caused the dancer’s thigh to push up against the apex of her legs. “What happened to the robes?”

Quinn placed her chin on Brittany’s shoulder with a smile and motioned her hand along the blonde’s makeshift ribbon tie. “This is still on.”

Rachel shut her eyes and wondered if Quinn comprehended that by pointing at the tie, she had also caused Rachel’s gaze to fall onto Brittany’s chest. The singer felt her libido spark and couldn’t help twitching a bit which only agitated her further when Brittany shifted her leg up to press harder against the tiny brunette.

‘Oh, she knew alright.’ Santana sent as she laughed. 

A sharp triple knock was all the announcement the golem produced before entering the room. “The Berry’s have arrived; your meal has been set up in the dining room.” After receiving a dismissive nod from Santana, Magmus exited.

“Why do we always get interrupted?!” Quinn sighed in an unsatisfied huff and strolled into what Rachel had guessed as Santana’s closet. Brittany gave one more peck then rolled and gracefully fell off the bed to follow after Quinn. Yes, gracefully fell, if that motion could be accomplished by anyone it would be the blonde dancer’s lithe beautifully elegant legs. Were her blondes attempting to cause her to be permanently lightheaded? Because it’s working.

A round of snickering could be heard from the closet making Rachel wish that she had better control on where her thoughts scurried off to. 

“What was that all about?” The diva inquired as she turned to face the only other occupant of the bed while trying to calm her sudden excitement. 

“Your parents are here.” Santana brushed up fingers up from Rachel’s waist and stayed on the smaller girl’s ribs. “So we should probably get dressed before seeing the in-laws.” 

“Everyone is so nonchalant that Magmus barged into the room and saw us all naked.” Rachel huffed. The ‘in-laws’ portion caused a flutter of happiness and an internal squeal from Rachel but meanwhile Santana had blushed and cringed when she heard the brunette’s joyful shriek, the singer settle on just a bashful smile so not to mortify Santana any more than necessary.

“Berry-pie, he’s a servant and let’s not forget that he’s also a golem, it’s like having a coat rack seeing us naked.” Santana explained, her fingers following the distinct outline of the Rachel’s bones. 

“They appear sentient and should not be considered just fixtures nor treated as objects.” The singer argued, trying to stay on point and not get sidetracked by Santana’s distracting digits.

Santana found her eyes staring vexingly at her high arched ceiling and wondered how she managed to control herself from snapping at Rachel. “Also, we don’t really care for covering our bodies as much as the rest of humanity does.”

‘So much for modesty then.’

“It has nothing to do with modesty; we just don’t see nudity as a stigma.” Quinn now dressed in an aqua blue A-lined sixties dress with smart black buttons. 

“And don’t’ you like what you see?” Brittany asked with a smirk in her cute knee long white dress and a simple yellow belt loosely around her hips.

Rachel groaned and covered her face with her hands. How was she supposed to have a proper conversation with her fathers when all she could think about was how nice her girls’ bodies were and how unbelievably horny she was.

Santana guffawed and stretched languorously before Rachel’s appreciative but shy eyes. “You’ll just have to deal.” 

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Bowls of hot soup sat steaming on blood red table settings. The old oak table was rather extensive and reminded Rachel of the dinner tables that Disney movies would have for Royalty. The dining hall, and it was a hall not just a room, was huge. This section of the mansion was obviously made to cater to a large gathering of guest and family. Ornate carvings of plant life graced the walls and a chandelier carved from crystal dripped from the ceiling. The shimmering rock flickered with candles above the occupants of the room. Along with the candles above there were also ebony coloured candle holders that seemed to have grown from the table itself.

Hiram and LeRoy were already seated and stood up when the girls approached. 

“Rachel!” LeRoy gushed and moved to hug the brunette. 

Hiram stood next to his husband and placed a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “I hope you are not too upset with us.”

‘I was infuriated.’ Rachel admitted, her gaze finding the marble floors while her hands smoothed over invisible creases in the Insight Between Days Dress she had borrowed from Santana .

‘Out loud, darling.’ Quinn reminded gently.

‘Oh, I did not realize I was pathing, I suppose I am used to internalizing all my thoughts before expressing them out loud.’

Hiram and LeRoy exchanged a pensive look at one another. They should inform Rachel of everything right away, of all her abilities but how much faith could they place on the Lopez household. 

“Dad, you can trust Santana.” Rachel replied earnestly. 

“I know, but her family is very powerful and I am unsure of the position they took on certain key events.” Hiram explained with a cautious expression towards Santana. He had known that Quinn was a Destined of Santana and Brittany and them to her but he wondered if they would accept Quinn and Rachel being aligned to one another. Destined relationships can be mutually exclusive between this many members. And knowing how these girls had once bullied his daughter. “Caution is what has and will keep you safe.” 

The Latina growled and marched up to the Berrys. “The LoPelunez family will position themselves to protect my Destined.” 

Rachel turned her gleeful astonishment towards her mate, this was the first time Santana had willingly addressed her in the same way both Brittany and Quinn had accepted her. Jokingly calling her parents in-laws was one thing, outright admittance of Rachel being something that held such weight in their realm’s world order caused a glowing smile to grace the singer’s lips. 

Santana grasped Rachel’s hand firmly in her own. The diva sniffled and all but tackled into Santana’s arms. Brittany came from behind Rachel, encircled their shortest member and leaned over to kiss Santana on the forehead. ‘I knew you liked her!’ 

Hiram and LeRoy watched uneasily at the three entangled girls. Quinn noted that it wasn’t of rejection or distain but more of parents facing the fact that their child had grown up and that meant their children having intimate relationships and branching out from the safety of home. She could understand the importance of this particular relationship was harder to take in and thus the Berrys were learning to cope with this mile stone development. 

Quinn’s tone held a politeness of a host as she addressed their visitors. “Perhaps we can continue this over the meal?”

The group enjoyed their handmade cream of golden mushroom soup quietly to allow Rachel some time to settle her feelings, first from the nightmarish memory of a dream, and then from Santana’s announcement. When they were finished, demure maids came out to pick up the bowls and replace them with sterling silver serving trays with dome polished lids. With quick flourish the servants revealed the main course and returned quietly back into the kitchen with the lids. 

Rachel sniffed at the scent of something that intrigued her more than the delectable aroma of the lamb rack and side of exotic vegetables that was unveiled before her. ‘They smell similar to us.’

‘They are of the Were-kind, those changlings transformations are controlled entirely by the cycles of the moon.’ Quinn mentioned as she dabbed the corner of her mouth with her napkin. ‘They are not comparable to us.’

‘That’s why they are the servants, serving us and your Staine-’ Santana stopped midsentence and cringed where Quinn sparked a soft magic pulse into the Latina’s side. 

‘Did you ever watch Van Helsing?’ Brittany asked, after getting a bemused smile and nod from Rachel she continued. ‘The servants are like the Were-wolves in the movie.’

‘Well, actually, there are many different types of Were.’ Quinn picked up again. ‘Though Weres are only capable of changing into one solidary animal for its entire life cycle.’

‘Am I to assume Shifters can take other forms?’ Rachel asked because none of this was really apparent to her normal understanding of the universe she occupied. 

‘Of course!’ ‘Doy!’ Quinn and Santana answered indignantly before they could control her tone.

“Are we not all of some mythical realm, should we not all be equals?” Rachel questioned and looked over to her parents for confirmation.

“Rachelah, you were never raised with the notion of being superior to humanity or to the caste of Fae considered as,” Hiram flicked his wrist and clasped his hand into a fist, as if trying to grasp the correct terminology. “Unprivileged.” 

“They look down on those they considered lesser, thinking they should be allowed to be judge and jury.” LeRoy puffed up and agitatedly gazed back at the displeasure in Santana’s stare. “Though I can’t blame the generations having this bias view now a day, they were bred and born into it, mindlessly hating and discriminating.” 

Santana flared her nostrils, her jaw tightening. Brittany placed a comforting hand on her mate’s lower back. Rachel was in-between Santana and Quinn and could not for the life of her understand the origin of Santana’s anger nor why Quinn had become so ridged and cold towards her parents. 

Hiram placed his hand on LeRoy’s forearm supportively. “I am of the Elven breed while your father is of Stained lineage; he is half human and half Elven.”

“Subsequently, what does it mean?” Rachel blinked her wide eyes. “Wait, you are telling me you are elven… as in, elves in St. Nicolas toy workshop?” 

Brittany giggled and Santana and Quinn followed suite when thinking of the ridiculous notion of the noble Altmer breed toiling away on wooden toys. “Ray, there isn’t a Santa Claus.”

“Well, yes, I realize that.” Rachel pouted and shook her head. “Never mind, I am not sure what knowledge I should consider relevant anymore.”

Quinn placed a hand on Rachel’s shoulder and rubbed small circles with her fingertips. “Let’s work on telling them the dream you just had.”

Rachel nodded and after running through the events in her dreams, fixed a determined stare at her fathers. “Who is Shelby and why did she have to run and give me to you, who am I, for that matter?”

“I know we agreed to tell you everything but when we were coming here we know we should let Shelby be the one to explain everything that has happened, but reaching her can be quite an ordeal and we ask for you to only refrain from going into your shifted form until your mother can arrive.” Hiram explained, his tone and honest expression held no sabotage but Rachel sensed that something was off.

It was tempting for Rachel to peevishly inform her parents that she had no mother, but after that memory she had dreamt up. Rachel couldn’t bring herself to denounce a woman that obviously adored her. The affectionate tone and love that shone from her mother’s eyes were still clear and heartbreakingly familiar in Rachel’s memories. 

“Dad, it would be in my best interest that you tell us everything now, we were attacked already.” Rachel paused at the fury that shadowed her father’s normally peaceful features and continued after a beat. “There were four dead mares that tried to murder us.”

LeRoy gasped while one hand flew to cover his mouth. “They know!”

Hiram turned an agitated glare at his partner for revealing too much and looked back at Rachel. “This isn’t that out of hand yet, as of now they only-”

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A/N: Oh my goodness, so much lore and history I have to pile on, is everyone enjoying the elaborate tale? I think this is the longest project I’ve ever created and this time it actually has a good story board to follow. Going to have to leave you folks here at a cliffy for now. Also I don’t believe the whole episode with Brittany believe Santa was real. Honestly, I had already planned this chapter and there are loads of notes so I wasn’t changing my Shifter world for Glee’s sometime insane storylines.


	12. A Request

A/N: First off I wanted to apologize if I seemed intentionally cruel for cutting off midsentence but it was the most reasonable place to cut the chapter and it was also because Hiram had been interrupted and thus the half sentence. Don’t be mad my wonderful readers! Also, I know I said I was going to post a new chapter on Sunday but you’ll all have to drop stacprit a thank you note for being extra degrees of supportive and thus caused me to go on ahead and complete this chapter early!

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“Dad, it would be in my best interest that you tell us everything now, we were attacked already.” Rachel paused at the fury that shadowed her father’s normally peaceful features and continued after a beat. “There were four dead mares that tried to murder us.”

LeRoy gasped while one hand flew to cover his mouth. “They know!”

Hiram turned an agitated glare at his partner for revealing too much and looked back at Rachel. “This isn’t that out of hand yet, as of now they only-”

“Dad!” Rachel retorted, sharply interjected. “There were fire breathing, sharp toothed, undead and completely eloquent mythical horses that we combated earlier today, I believe the situation is far from hand!”

“The mares could have been a timed trapped spell, most likely awaiting your shift and when they sensed your Shifted form, they were summoned.” Hiram deduced since there had been no further attack on Rachel or the girls since then. 

“We didn’t make it out of the range of the last chant those beasts cast the night we picked up Rachel!” LeRoy agreed. “Your morphing may have alerted the runes that were charmed to activate and thus caused the attack but the creatures that casted the spell probably didn’t have time to refine and specify the hex.”

“So there’s a high probability that the people may now know Rachel shifted since the charmed horses were activated and automatically sent to attack her but the owner of this curse should not know her location?” Quinn asked, being able to actually comprehend how spells function allowed her to follow Hiram’s logic. 

“Yes, precisely.” A grim smile showed on Hiram’s lips. “As long as Rachel does not morph to her Shifted form the glamour and incantations we placed on her shall continue to conceal her presence.” 

“It was because of you two that Rachel has been kept from us?!” Santana snarled her question at Hiram. 

‘Santana, it was to protect Rachel.’ Quinn supplied, her eyes anxiously turned to the angered Latina. 

“We could have protected her, four Clans would have been better than just a pair of…” Santana clamped her mouth shut when a racial slur almost flew out due to her rage. Santana would normally not even think twice for treating a Stained couple with contempt since this was what they had been taught their whole lives. Humans were worthless fodder. Beneath all Fae. To mate with one was blasphemous and to now see a living proof of such a union. But these were Rachel’s parents and she had no intention on drawing Rachel’s ire. 

Brittany continued to rub her hand soothingly up and down Santana’s back when she noticed her lover’s hesitant stop. “We really would have.”

‘Santana, I agree but please continue to reign in your emotions.’ Quinn was on the fence on how to treat beings considered below her status since she herself was an underdog in her own home. She was conflicted on wanting to treat them like normal Fae folk or to hold to the superior ideals and power of those that were pure and thus better than the Stained, allowing her the luxury of lording over them as was her right in society. She normally reverted to the archaic ways of thinking to appease her father but she had no ties to her birth family now but only the ordeals she had been fed since childhood to hold up. 

Instead of picking a definitive side, Quinn looked passively at the men in front of her. “Have you cast retention spells on Rachel’s Shifted form for all these years?”

LeRoy sighed and nodded, he could tell this one was well taught in magic and had a deductive mind to follow up any guesses. There was no reason to delay the inevitable conclusion. “Since she was old enough to walk so yes, all through her youth.”

Rachel flicked her eyes between her fathers and Quinn. “And why does the length of time I’ve stay hidden necessitate worry?” 

Quinn squeezed Rachel’s hand and grinned apologetically. “The only way to properly hide your scent and your origins from us was to diminish your bonds to the Shifter side of you.”

The short brunette nodded her head to show her understanding. “And this diminishing of my bonds will result in unfavourable consequences?”

“Rachel, it’s never natural to sever a bond that is a birthrate to Shifter kind, we knew that when we had to do it, but we couldn’t move out of Lima… because we needed to monitor Quinn’s family since we knew that she was your Destined.”

“What?” Santana pounded her free hand on the oak table hard enough to shake the dishware but her voice was dangerously calm. “You knew Rachel had Quinn as her Destined and still choose to interfere!”

It was in Santana’s right to be furious for the Berrys deceit but before things could get tenser Quinn sent another pacifying thought towards Santana. ‘S, we need to get the full story, for Rachel’s safety.’

Santana growled and after giving Rachel a glance pick up her utensils and slowly worked at her meal. She had no intention of forgiving the men for this travesty and continued to glare at them with distain as she consumed her meal. 

Conversations were momentarily postponed when everyone else followed suit even with the thick tension in the air. The food was good and after they were finished the servants brought out a platter of cut fruit and a personal fondue set for each member.

Quinn quirked her lip, Santana must have ordered for all the fine silver ware to be used, along with the rather extravagant meal. Normally the feast at Santana’s was always the best but to bring out the fondue set and what Quinn could presume as top shelf dragon berry wine being poured in their chalices, Santana was trying to impress Rachel. Really that girl of hers had such flourish for dramatic gestures; she could tell that Santana was already warmed up to their newest and was trying to win her favour. 

“Should we really be ingesting wine?” Rachel asked after she smiled and murmured a thank you to the maid. The serving girl blushed and blinked at Rachel with wide green eyes. She was of Were-breed and was unaccustomed to a Pureblood addressing her with any kind of courtesy. 

Santana noticed the serving girl’s paused and snapped her fingers. “That’s all.”

The girl got so flustered she dropped the silver tray she had used to bring in the platters of fruit. “My apologies!”

Quinn felt her lips reflexively dipping in annoyance. 

‘I have no clue who the hell is in charge of hiring but it’s time for replacement.’

“You will do no such thing.” Rachel reproved after hearing Santana’s thoughts. “She dropped a tray, hardly worth her job.”

‘Rachel, if you don’t train the servants’ right, the quality of their work will just slip.’

The starlet leaned back and blinked, surprised at Brittany’s thoughts. The cheerful blonde was the last person she would have expected to show any prejudice or sneer at others. 

‘And don’t just discuss my plans in front of the aid.’ Santana quipped back, not use to being chastened for dealing with clumsy servants. ‘It’s embarrassing.’

“Then treat them with some dignity!” Rachel answered back out loud, not wanting to just block out the servant from their conversation, it just seemed so rude to talk behind the girl’s back. 

“We of Were-breed deserve no dignity.” The maid answered, she was the same age as Rachel and had her curly fiery red hair twisted into a chignon updo and freckles peppered her nose. As if remembering her place the maid quickly dropped her eyes from Rachel and almost whimpered. “This is the best place I’ve ever served at, maybe because it is situated in the human realm but my masters here are very kind.”

Santana gave Rachel a ‘you see!’ look and huffed when Rachel folded the napkin that was on her lap and placed it neatly on the table. “I am going to go into the kitchen and help clean up.” With that the brunette pushed away from the table, assisted the maid up from where she had still been kneeling next to the silver platter and walked determinedly into the double doors where the servants had been coming and going for the duration of their meal. 

The co-captain made to march after Rachel and drag her out of the serving rooms if need be but was stopped by Quinn’s firm hand on her bicep. 

Santana glanced back and forth from Quinn and Brittany and threw her hands in the air. ‘I’m so not wrong here.’

‘No, you’re not but Rachel was brought up by… the Berrys and thus have some reluctance in treating them with anything less than respect.’ Quinn explained and dipped another diced apple block into her bowl of hot dark chocolate. ‘Also, it may be easier to get the Berrys to talk without Rachel’s hurt shown in front of them.’

Brittany remained silent and nibbled on her food. Her family never had the resources that both Santana and in a lesser amount Quinn had so she wasn’t privy to servants in her own home. But she and Santana spend enough time together that she knows how the Stained and to a lesser degree Were servants should be treated and was confused with this sudden revelation of treating those kind of creature differently. Those of Stained birth rarely if ever held any magic or special abilities their Fae parent had which verified their lower worth. The Stained children were the proof of such humiliating Fae Human unions and thusly scorned for the disgrace brought to Fae by those that had succumbed to their weaker desires and mated with fodder.

Weres on the other hand originate from humankind and are only capable of breeding by the transference of the contagion in their saliva, these creatures were held with more contempt since they bred akin to a virus since female Weres are not able to carry a fetus to term due to their children being spontaneously aborted during their transformations under the full moon. Were contagions had none of the potency of Vampyre venom and the only way for Weres to be created was by a brutal mauling. The repetitive bites allowed a wide spread of the contagion to be delivered into the victim and thus gave a chance for the change to occur. There was also the factor of blood lust that made it hard for a Were to stay their fangs and claw when attempting to change a potential candidate and a lot of the time the humans attacked ended up slain and later feasted upon by the scavengers of the wild. 

Hiram was holding LeRoy’s hand in his and allowed his partner to grip tightly when the other girls had been rude to the serving girl. Neither could quite hide the pleased smile on their lips when their daughter stood up for the red head. 

Santana glared up at the Berry men before her and frowned. “You guys fucked up a perfectly fine Shifter, how did you even manage to take a Shifter!?”

Hiram stared right back at Santana, in no mood for a petulant and spoiled child speaking to him in such a way. 

“I want to know as well, the truce between the Elven and Shifter kind have been tense for centauries now.” Quinn coldly faced Hiram then LeRoy. “And it is definitely unusual for a Pureblood such as Rachel to fall into your care.” 

“Rachel’s Clan had been eradicated.” Hiram answered in quipped tones. “We and Shelby are all she has.”

A Shifter Clan is normally permanently vast and to have an entire clan be just destroyed is quite astonishing. 

“Oh, Rachel…” Brittany said, feeling both sympathy and pain for her mate. “What happened?”

“All I am asking is for the three of you to remain patient while we contact Shelby and she’ll explain everything.” LeRoy rushed out. “Just one month, please, don’t let her shift anymore and don’t petition for a new ruling for your Pact.”

“Why?” Santana questioned, her brows feeling like they were perpetually going to be furrowed in frustration. “The Elven know how our Destined are meant to be, we should be allowed to commence and consummate our Pact!”

“You’ll find no disagreement from me.” Hiram shifted in his seat and sighed. “Just one month.” He turned to his husband and repeated. “One month.”

“Please.” LeRoy beseeched the three girls sitting before them. “It’s complicated and dangerous if they ever found out about Rachel’s where abouts, the only way we could protect her was to hide her and not let her form a Pact.”

“Because a Pact requires all members to hand up their Clan information and lineage.” Santana said out loud. “Of course, then they would be able to find Rachel, or at least question who Rachel is.”

“The law sent by the High Council had been effect for thousands of years so that no particular Clan could pull all the political power to one side with the use of Pacts between powerful Clans that are not for genuine love and mating. But our bond is of Destined blessed. We should and would have no issues passing the High Council’s courts even with Rachel being of unknown origins.”

“That means there are Shifters in the High Council that you don’t trust or presume will cause harm to Rachel.” Santana continued with Quinn’s train of thought, catching onto the gist of things. “Because the documentation required for a Pact is never just open information to the public.” 

“But who would want to harm a Clanless Shifter?” Brittany mentioned and her eyes sparked. “Unless Rachel is of high birth and since you said her entire Clan has been culled, was Rachel Clan part of the Anarchist movement?” 

Hiram and LeRoy observed open jawed at the three incredibly intelligent women before them. Part of them was glad that Rachel was so blessed to have such amazing Destined-mates. Another part of them were anxious of how long they could keep hiding parts of the truth. 

With a cough Hiram started. “Rachel’s Clan was labeled as Anarchist.”

“They were no such thing though!” LeRoy mumbled as he rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “Culled is still the correct term to be used here.”

“She can’t be held for crimes she didn’t do or even know about, maybe the High Council will let it go.” Brittany asked hopefully, her eyes round and hopeful as she turned her gaze to Quinn.

“Surely they would pardon her?” Quinn agreed after reaching out and caressing Brittany’s face, her sharp hazel green eyes clouded with anxiety for her mate’s safety. 

“And if they don’t, my Clan has power in the hierarchy, they wouldn’t dare touch Rachel.” Santana finished off decidedly, her protectiveness of Rachel was strong and she knew the LoPelunez Clan was adamant on defending their name and Clan members. 

“Perhaps.” Hiram replied sensibly. “But perhaps not, we were never willing to take this chance.”

LeRoy gave each girl a tight expression. “Are you, as her Destined, willing to gamble on her life?”


	13. Chapter 13

Title: Pact (13/?)  
Author: Mina Robins  
Fandom: Glee  
Pairing: Brittana/Faberry, Faberrittana. Polyamorous.  
Rating: T  
Summary: Rachel stumbles into the underworld hidden beneath Lima’s dull exterior when the slumbering genotypes in her DNA finally awaken and exert themselves. Thankfully her mates will help her navigate through the more dangerous paths she has to encounter. 

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“And if they don’t, my Clan has power in the hierarchy, they wouldn’t dare touch Rachel.” Santana finished off decidedly, her protectiveness of Rachel was strong and she knew the LoPelunez Clan was adamant on defending their name and Clan members. 

“Perhaps.” Hiram replied. “But perhaps not, we were never willing to take this chance.”

LeRoy gave each girl a tight expression. “Are you, as her Destined, willing to gamble on her life?”

“Never.” Santana stated vehemently, her jaw tight and a protective flame in her eyes. She leaned away from the Berrys and swiftly left for the kitchen. ‘We still don’t know the full story, finish your meal, I need to go check on our crazy Berry.’

‘We’ll talk to them when you guys come back, can we go to the lounge?’ Brittany suggested.

‘Getting all cosy with the Berrys?’ Santana sneered; her hand paused on the handle to the kitchen and looked back at her second. ‘Quinn, deal with this.’

‘Yes, I’ll get the servants to move desert to the adjoining lounge, just worry about getting Rachel to come back.’ Quinn motioned with her hands for Santana to go on then turned to face the Berrys with the most cordial voice she could manage. “Would you all care for some tea?”

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Santana walked into the kitchen to find a half dozen of maids tidying up instead of eating their meal at the servant’s table. After serving the Clan members the servants were allowed to eat their own dinner but yet here they were, still cleaning and some were bringing food from their private garden to stash into the pantry. The other dozen or so servants the mansion housed were all absent from the dinner filled table, probably still cleaning about the place.

Strolling further in revealed the cause of the strange situation. Rachel Berry was busy washing dishes and for every piece she completed and placed down the red haired girl from before quickly dried and passed onto the countless waiting maids to take away and store them to their proper positions in the cabinets. 

Rachel was going on about how her entire class had decided to skip last period French, which made absolutely no sense to the diva. The crowd of maids were both intimidated and fascinated, no doubt by the fact that a Pureblood was speaking to them with such familiarity. None of the workers appeared particular miffed in postponing their dinner and were quite taken aback by Rachel’s enthusiastic narrative of her day at school. 

Santana herself rarely wondered into the kitchen, if she needed something she could order for it and the rare times she had been in here, it was with Brittany. Now that was a fun way to use custard.

One of the older maids burst into the kitchen from a side door. “There’s been an order for Lady Grey tea to be served!”

The red head from before bravely suggested to Rachel. “Perhaps you would like some cookies to go with that?”

“I would love to make some.”

That had set the Stained and Were servants into a frantic refusal for the singers aid but Rachel grinned and said thank you as she dried her hands on a towel helpfully held up by the redhead. Some of the maids poked at the redhead and others shook their fingers at the young Stained. “We can’t ask for the help of our master’s guest.”

Rachel laughed at the maids antics and shrugged. “I am use to creating batches of bakery goods with my father LeRoy, perhaps we can exchange notes.”

Containers filled with flour were dragged out and eggs were being retrieved from the refrigerator whilst Rachel started rolling up her sleeves. 

Santana tilted her head at the adorable concentration that Rachel don when she was determined to complete a task. She pondered on whether she had always found Rachel’s determination to be a rather attractive trait. For as long as she could remember Rachel had always been someone that would devote a hundred and ten percent in every responsibility she placed herself into. Santana could appreciate a hard working Pactmate.

The maids were all eager to please and probably knew they couldn’t talk Rachel out of helping since Santana had walked in to see Rachel already washing dishes. Santana had never seen the women employed by her Clan to be so animated and enthusiastically speaking their minds. The maids were demure and quiet, out of sight but quick to tidy and care for her needs. They’ve always acted like a coat hanger, or as a vacuumer and of servers. It was odd to see them so lively, so normal and individualistic. 

‘Rachel, come outside.’ Santana sent out as she pushed off from where she had been leaning on the far wall.

The singer spun away from the surrounding women and glowed a smile at Santana, obviously pleased by her presence which dimmed quickly when the diva remembered that she was still angry at Santana’s rude behaviour earlier. 

The smile on Santana’s lips left when the diva resumed glowering at her, she gritted her teeth but still approached the shorter girl. ‘Don’t be mad, let’s go.’

“If that is an apology it should be directed to Amelia.” Rachel curtly responded as she opened the flour container and drizzled a thin layer of it onto the already laid out wooden board.

Santana knew her expression must have been livid since the maids around her quickly ducked their heads and backed away to silently begin other chores. The redheaded one practically cowered behind Rachel. 

The Latina frowned to see the maid stand so close to Rachel, Quinn being in heat and with their mating interrupted earlier had already put her on edge. Seeing someone to be in such proximity to Rachel made Santana particularly territorial. 

The diva noticed Santana’s dire expression and glowered. “Stop scaring the help!”

‘Arrrrrrrrgh!’ Strutting forward to tower over the short redhead and in turn push the girl further away from Rachel, Santana flared her nostrils. “Don’t be so clumsy next time.”

“Santana-” Rachel started but stopped when Amelia raised her hand as if she were a child at a ridged classroom. 

“Umm, yes Amelia?” Rachel pointed at the redhead with a bemused smile. 

“If I may,” Amelia dropped her hand and meekly said. “This means I’ll have a next time, it’s more than I can ask for.”

“Oh, well, that is good to hear.” Rachel blinked up at Santana. “I apologize for walking out earlier that was not proper dinner time etiquette.”

Santana glared one more time at the redhead and sighed. ‘Yeah, whatever, let’s go.’

“My hands are already floured up, perhaps-” 

Santana grasped onto the singer’s hand and pulled her towards the tap and started washing the girl’s hand after adjusting the temperature. ‘Then washed them, doy!’

The water trickled down over their hands and Rachel silently witnessed a more gentle side to Santana. It made her feel cherished and important and safe enough to share some of what had been troubling her.

‘I am having difficulties accepting the fact that my parents both willing and intentionally hid my origins from me.’ Rachel admitted while Santana gently scrubbed out the flour.

Santana turned off the tap and raised her hand to hold Rachel’s chin. ‘We’re here with you.’

Rachel’s eyes watered a bit and she smiled shyly when Santana used her thumb to stoke away the tear from her cheek. “I wished you did not make me cry, I feel like such a drama queen.”

‘News flash, Berry-pie, you’re a drama queen.’ Santana quipped with a grin. ‘Now, let’s go outside.’

‘I like it when you refer to me as… Berry-pie.’ 

Santana turned a wonderful crimson and sniffed. She wasn’t paying too much attention to the nickname she had been saying for a while now. ‘Kay.’

Rachel let Santana lead her out of the kitchen and turned to face the maids and unexpectedly (for them) said goodbye and promised to bake with them another time. “Amelia, if you are not off for the night, would you mind serving us the tea?”

Amelia smiled and nodded willingly.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Rachel was once again sandwiched in between Quinn and Santana while Brittany sat in the Latina’s lap and had her own long legs draped on top of Rachel and Quinn’s knees. Rachel wondered briefly if it was strange that the antique Victorian styled sofa seemed to fit the four of them so perfectly.

LeRoy watched at how adorable the four women looked all cuddled up together. He hadn’t gotten to see the ease which physical closeness was common place in Shifter abodes for quite some time. He and Hiram had always ensured a safe and welcoming arena for Rachel and always gave hugs and held Rachel’s hand during elementary. They would sing to her and tell bed time stories and end with a kiss on her forehead and a tight squeezing family bear hug.

It was a somewhat bittersweet moment for them when their ten year-old sat them down one night before bedtime and very seriously announced that she was grown up and no longer required that particular night time ritual. Sure they had friends who children had outright told their parents to stop coddling them or stories of some tweens that just closed their doors to their approaching guardian one night. The Berrys had been prepared to have their hearts broken just a tad but were saved from too much heartache since they had to hand it to Rachel on being the child to actually formally dismiss their night time tucking ins. 

“Your mother was such as sweetheart, and you got definitely your set of lungs from her.” LeRoy smiled fondly. “I was her favourite childminder and I have to say she was my favourite child I had the fortune to care for. Some would label her as hard to handle and a bit of a brat but that wasn’t true, she was a quick thinker and inquisitive, mostly just wanted attention from her very busy and high up parents.” 

“I was a family friend and guardian to your Clan and had watched Shelby grow up into a fine young woman and kept up letters with LeRoy.” Hiram placed a hand on LeRoy’s knee and pecked his husband on the cheek. “I remember seeing him the at Shelby’s first month gathering, swear my heart was stolen the moment I laid eyes on him.”

“Wait, Dad, if Daddy had been my mother’s manny.” Rachel quizzically interrupted. “How old were you… How old are you now?”

“Oh Rachelah, I am of Elven blood.” Hiram replied, happy to share some of his orgins with Rachel. “I am 852 human years and will live to about a 1000 by nature’s course.”

“And I am, being of Stained birth, living to around 500, but don’t worry I don’t feel a day over 239.” LeRoy grinned. “It means I can spend the rest of my life with Hiram and not have to worry about how he’ll be when I am gone.”

“Hush.” Hiram leaned his forehead against LeRoy’s and sighed. 

Rachel beamed at her parents and could not get over just how incredible it was to see her parents so in love even after all this time. Brittany agreed with the sentiment while Quinn and Santana still had strongly taught reservations against mixed bondings but couldn’t deny that love that was laid out before them. Quinn shifted uneasily for a moment. It felt safe to be surrounded by her mates but it was also several shades of frustrating to be nearing heat and not be just locked in their bedroom. Quinn had been patient and refused to continue after they had placed the unconscious Rachel into her bed. The hbic knew that if she joined with Santana and Brittany now, there was going to be a high chance that someone would initiate the Pact and unavoidably causing a rift to form between them and Rachel. Quinn was sure that Rachel was meant to be with them and forced herself to be tolerant but it sure didn’t help that they had all fallen in bed earlier and now are comfortably wrapped around one another on this couch. 

Santana could feel Quinn’s agitation and also scent her pheromones beginning to surround them which made the Latina shift and grip onto Brittany and nuzzle against the taller blonde’s back. Rachel didn’t understand what she was sensing from Quinn but felt her body heat up with the same longing she had felt earlier today day which made her feel completely uncomfortable experiencing it in front of her parents. The conflicting emotions caused Rachel to wrap her fingers around Quinn’s hand hoping to steady herself but then felt the blonde shiver and pull Rachel closer against her body. Rachel bit her lower lip to suppress the moan at her throat, was Quinn’s skin always this soft?

Before things tumbled further out of hand Amelia brought the tea in and placed the fine china cups before each member and filled their each accordingly. “Sugar, milk?”

Amelia handed Rachel a teacup and saucer and proceeded to pass out the steaming Lady Grey Tea to each occupant in the room. Quinn shook her head and choose instead to gently stroke Rachel’s shoulder. 

‘I’m not handicapped, I can get those myself, why isn’t she leaving the milk and tea like they usually do?!’ Santana griped while glancing at the help.

‘This one does hover around a lot doesn’t she?’ Quinn conversationally answered back as her hands trailed through Rachel’s hair. The blonde was trying her damnest to not just drag Rachel on top of herself so she could tastes their newest’s lips. So she settled for petting the singer and attempted to pacify her roaring heartbeat. 

‘It’s cause Rachel is a sweethotty and I bet the redhead has a crush on her now.’ 

Both Santana and Quinn whipped their heads around to look at Brittany so fast that Rachel almost got the teacup jostled out of her hands. The co-captains switch their dagger like glares up to the now sweating redhead, a rolling growl emitted from the pair in unison. 

“I believe we will be fine, thank you.” Rachel answered for the group shortly. ‘She does not have a crush on me; I just treated her with some common decency.’ 

“Th-e coo-kies, will umm.” Amelia coughed into her hand and then looked petrified for spluttering her germs onto the appendage that was needed to serve her masters. “I-I normally cough into my, well I don’t cough a lot, I’m not sick and umm well, elbow.”

“You can bring us the cookies later.” Rachel finished for the stuttering maid. 

Amelia gave a thankful glance to Rachel before squeaking when both Santana and Quinn snarled.

“That was completely unnecessary.” Rachel placed a hand on each girl’s knees.

“Actually, Rach, it’s normal that we are so territorial over you.” Brittany whispered when she leaned in close to Rachel conspiratorially, her fingers pushing a strand of hair behind Rachel’s ear then trailing over the shorter girl’s neck. The physical proximity wasn’t really required since they were all telepathically linked to one another. Even though Brittany wasn’t a dominant which made her a bit more able to control her territorial behaviours, the redhead’s presence was enough to cause her to validate their bond with touch. “We want you.”

The diva finally lost her cool making her cheeks flame a rosy red while her eyes were pooled obsidian to match Brittany’s heated gaze. ‘Brittany, my parents are right there!’

Hiram and LeRoy were of a realm filled with all kind of Fae and were also closely affiliated with the Shifter race for many a century and were used to how their bonded were like around one another. So the fathers watched with bit too much amusement at their daughter’s bashfulness.

“Daddies, it is not funny!” Rachel bit her lip and faced away from Brittany to lean her back tightly against the cushion of the sofa and even pulled her hand away from Santana and Quinn which summoned a pout from Quinn and an eye roll from Santana. 

“Very well, now let me continue.” Hiram mercifully started again. “All Stained beings are considered weaknesses from their enchanted parents; those that are uncared for are Clanless, unimportant, despised and have little to no rights in our society and thus immediately cast into the slave trade.”

Rachel felt her lip quiver and wanted nothing more than to run over and embrace her dads. The other girls sensed Rachel’s thoughts and adjusted accordingly to allow their newest to get up and rush over to hug her fathers. 

“Don’t be sad, babygirl.” LeRoy picked up as he rubbed his hand into Rachel’s hair. “I was very lucky and Shelby agreed to let Hiram buy me out of servitude.

The diva pulled back and sniffled. 

“It wasn’t all bad, Shelby refused to take the coin and even arranged for me and Hiram to leave since we knew we would never be welcomed as a couple in that realm.”

Hiram placed a hand on Rachel’s shoulder. “Shelby helped us pass from the segregation and transition fully into the human world. And later when she needed us to take care of you, we were all too happy to oblige.” 

“Why could she no longer care for me?” Rachel enquired with tears fresh in her eyes. 

LeRoy pulled his lips into his mouth to keep silent while Hiram faltered with a pause and then continued. “Let’s allow your mother the curtsey of explaining everything to you in a month, just promise you’ll not shift until we tell you it’s safe.”

“About that.” Quinn stood and approached the trio. “Rachel has been blocked off from her Shifter form for her entire life, what kind of side effects can there be?”

“We don’t know.” LeRoy answered honestly.

“Rachel is the first case of such a thing happening, we were hoping that you could tell us how she was when she transformed.” Hiram sighed. 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
A/N: Can we all just gush together on our Quintanna feelings? I tried to write something for them after the “I Do,” episode but I couldn’t do it without Brittany being there too and then it just turned into smut which made me learn that I can’t have three cheerleaders in a fanfic together without them running into each other’s arms and then having all kinds of gay sex.   
………………………………………………………………………………………………………


	14. Artistic Renditions

Title: Pact (14/?)  
Author: Mina Robins  
Fandom: Glee  
Pairing: Brittana/Faberry, Faberrittana. Polyamorous.  
Rating: T  
Summary: Rachel stumbles into the underworld hidden beneath Lima’s dull exterior when the slumbering genotypes in her DNA finally awaken and exert themselves. Thankfully her mates will help her navigate through the more dangerous paths she has to encounter.

kamooi did this amazing picture of Rachel which worked perfectly into the story :D  
 **http://kamooi.deviantart.com/art/PactRachel4-354509625**  
This chapter and the next are dedicated to you. Thanks for this awesome piece of work!  
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The group moved to the study hall so while Quinn described Rachel the best she could, Santana ordered for a Prismacolour pencil set and thick paper booklet which Brittany used to draw out a very detailed and accurate sketch of Rachel’s Shifter form. As Brittany worked Quinn described Rachel’s shifting and the fight at her house.

“It’s good to know that Rachel has such good control on her Shifted form, I’m impressed that she was able to maintain a bi-pedal shape after only a handful of hours.” Hiram lingered his fingers over the minute scales, tall antlers and bushy tail of Rachel’s Shifter form and then focused in on the golden speck eyes. “It’s very unusual to separate these two sides of her but it’s a relief to at least have a small example that there has not been any dire side effects on her physical control though we’ll have to wait and see how it’s affected her psyche.”

“Are you experiencing any pain when you shift?”

“No, it surprisingly felt very freeing, like a stretch after a long drive.” Rachel rolled her shoulder and neck, reminiscing about the sensation, she didn’t want to make her parents feel guilty but it felt like being set loose from a cage that had been too small. The shackles had been thrown off from her body and the power in her limbs had been invigorating. “And I do not think my mindset has been altered nor do I have any memory problems.”

“We’ll have to conduct some studies to ensure that remains that way.”

Rachel nodded and moved over to glance at Brittany’s finished work. “Brittany, this is amazing.” Rachel praised and kissed the blonde on the cheek. It surprised the singer how easily she showed such affectionate behaviour since it had always been Finn to initiate any type of physical contact during their little tryst. Though with these three she found her hand easily reaching out and trailing along the well-defined bodies, she craved for them.

Brittany on the other hand beamed and tapped her lips with a forefinger, asking for another kiss. Santana smirked but Quinn swooped in before the Latina had a chance and soundly kissed their tallest blonde.

Santana jabbed Quinn in the ribs and stole a kiss from Quinn for herself before playfully pushing her away a bit.

“When Quinn categorizes samples of herbs I help with drawing the plants.” Brittany explained while carefully returning her pencils to the leather case.

“Rachel if you morphed into this form now I could put on illusion spells.” LeRoy suggested eagerly. “We could never disguise your shifted state because we needed you to transform for that and we never wanted you to shift because we were worried that you’ll be found out but it should be safe to morph here, these grounds have natural concealment enchantments that are ancient and powerful and with a bit of time Hiram could reinforce their barriers.”

“I do not believe I can, I am not even sure how to begin my shifting.” Rachel said apologetically, a little unused to letting down her enthusiastic father.

“We’ll teach you everything, Rachel.” Quinn said solemnly while placing hand on Rachel’s back and the two other girls nodded their agreement.

“Could I ask you all something?”

Santana quirked an eyebrow at Hiram and shrugged nonchalantly.

“I just want to hear a confirmation that you are all bounded to one another.”

“Yes.” Santana indicated with a sharp nod and then wrapped an arm around Rachel’s shoulder. “We all feel the same pull to our newest.”

Sighing with relief, both fathers smiled. “It was just that with the history you share with my little girl, I was worried it wasn’t all mutual.”

Brittany weighed her head left to right. “It feels pretty much like we are all together on this.”

“Agreed.” Quinn ran a hand through Rachel’s locks, her voice dropping to a regretful whisper. “There was a time when I thought something was missing, and now I know why.”

Santana snorted and twisted away from the group for a moment.

Rachel wanted to ask why the sudden mood change but hastily followed when Santana motioned to leave the room. Proper sleep and a good meal really quickened the Latina’s recovery from almost stumbling in bathroom to her current lively state.

“Look, Quinn will now be living here and Brittany has her own room.” Santana pointed a thumb down towards her wing of the house. “I have plenty of room for everyone, because it’s safer here, so you should all stay.”

Hiram graciously declined the offer. “Now that Rachel has found out about her heritage it allows us the opportunity to ascertain whether or not this prolonged separations has left any lasting effects, and to accomplish that I’ll have to return to my study room and prepare.”

LeRoy glanced shiftily at Hiram and then back at Rachel. “Of course Rachel is allowed to sleep over for this weekend, if she wants.”

“Well I would love to learn more about my origins.” Rachel drifted her gaze longingly at her Pactmates. “I have also completed all my required assignments for school.”

“I had a feeling you would want to stay, we already actually brought your overnight sleeping gear!” LeRoy reached into Hiram’s jacket pocket and pulled out a set of keys with a jingle. “It’s in the trunk; I can bring it in for you.”

“I can get it myself, Daddy.” Rachel trailed after her father while the rest of the girls followed since there was no reason to just stay inside with the cooling tea.

Hiram came up next to Brittany before the girl could go outside and grabbed her arm. “Brittany, may I ask a favour from you.”

Brittany smiled sweetly. “Sure, you’re Rachel’s family.”

“I want to ask you to destroy the picture of Rachel’s Shifted form and promise not to draw it anymore.” Hiram grasped onto the blonde’s shoulder and glared into her eyes. “It’s of dire importance that no one sees the picture, or her safety can be compromised.”

Brittany nodded slowly her smile still present but her voice becoming less bubbly. “You know I’ll have to tell the others you told me this.”

“I was actually hoping that you would keep this a secret, a favour to me.” The old Elven guard watched down at the suddenly stoic ice blue eyes.

“You are Rachel’s family but so are we.” Brittany tilted her chin up. “Also, you can’t really convince me that you haven’t been preparing for the day that Rachel would find out about being a Shifter, what’s the real reason you’re rushing home?”

The Elven guard faltered, it wasn’t often Hiram had found himself tangled in his web of lies though it has been a very long time since he had needed to fend off an inquisition and the first time ever he has had familial protectiveness crowding into judgment. Concern for his daughter may have caused this second surprise but he was once a politician.

He deprecatingly answered. “Would you believe that there are times when a foolish old man’s denial can leave them unprepared for the inevitable?” If there was one thing he has learned is that there was nothing sympathy from others, once generated, couldn’t do. His face was a flawless portrayal of a regretful father and his heart beat was so steady that it hinted of his years of training.

Brittany dubiously narrowed her clear blue gaze. She couldn’t see or hear any deceit but something was off.

“You have to understand that we are doing this with Rachel’s best interest in mind.” Hiram tried, leaking a little too much of the desperation he felt in his heart out onto his voice. It was no lie that he was worried how his baby girl would see him. He and LeRoy were always the honest parents and a trusted confidant to their child. He didn’t want the relationship to be any more tarnished than it was at this point. There was also the ordeal of essentially searching for a woman that did not want to be found.

“I can’t know that, all that I see is that you’ve hid Rachel knowingly from her Destined.” Brittany’s voice is candid but her eyes are a bit jaded. “She loves you dearly and values her relationship with you so I won’t mention how you tried to get me to not tell my mates about this, and I’ll make sure no one will see Rachel’s shifted form.”

“Brittany, you can’t-”

“Hiram, sir, I can.” The blonde politely shrugged off the taller Primordian’s hands, her eyes a cold steel blue. “It’s going to work out better if you talk to Rachel before she finds out anything else on her own, because if you hurt her even unintentionally.”

There was a pause as the tension around them thickened and then the air of intensity he had felt from the girl evaporated as she spun around and danced up to the front door.

Brittany may not be the top of the class regarding school work but she had always been adept at reading people and even at this moment she could feel that both Hiram and LeRoy was hiding something from Rachel. The starlet should also be able to feel their lie by omission but was willingly blinded by rose tinted glasses, obviously trying to avoid more heartbreak.

Brittany sighed before turning around and smiling at him. “It was fun to have you over for dinner; Santana doesn’t usually let me have Lady Grey so late in the night cause the caffeine makes me hyper!”

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Santana easily hoisted Rachel’s bedazzled overnight duffle bag out of the back while Quinn picked up the singer’s personal kit of items she required for her rather elaborate night time rituals. Rachel herself took up her pillow so LeRoy helped back shutting the trunk.

“Cripes, guess you were ready to U-haul.” Santana joked and pecked Rachel on the cheek when the diva pouted. “C’mon Berry, it’s like how much I pack when I got for a week vacation.”

“I will have you know that a normal toothbrush does not clean nearly as well as an electric toothbrush and I have extremely sensitive skin so I need my own unique moisturizers.” Rachel huffed. “Do you not agree that good dental hygiene is important?”

Santana glanced over to where Quinn was for support but the HBIC had smartly made the return trip towards the mansion. That cheater!

“Ummm, no.” Santana smiled nervously as she gripped her fingers around one of the zippers of the duffle bag.

“Also would you have me use lotions that I am allergic to?”

“No, of course not.” The taller girl replied with a panicked grin as Rachel approached and glared up at her she opened her mouth a couple times trying to placate her newest and promptly bit her lip to stay mute on the subject but Rachel was backing up so LeRoy amusedly raised an eyebrow at the Latina, awaiting her response.

“I want you comfortable and I totally agree that this is the correct amount of luggage for an overnight stay.”

LeRoy laughed but then quickly slapped one of his hands over his mouth when Santana growled. “Smart move!”

“Daddy, I am not being unreasonable.” Rachel spun around on the older Berry as Santana made a hasty retreat.

“Of course you’re not.” LeRoy smiled and wrapped his arms around his daughter. “Have fun tonight and no hunky panky.”

“Daddy!”

Hiram came out of the house and marched towards the two other members of his family when he heard where the conversation had taken. “He’s right Rachelah, abstinence is the only way to avoid teenage pregnancies.”

“Dad, I do not believe we are properly equipped to conceive children.” Rachel bit her lip and tucked her burning face into her pillow; there was never an age when a conversation about your sex life with your parent wasn’t embarrassing.

LeRoy and Hiram looked at one another and sighed. “Just promise us not to allow the other girls to make you participate into anything too physical.”

“And no Pact ritual either, our baby girl isn’t ready for that yet.” LeRoy pulled Rachel into another hug and sniffled. “Please don’t be mad at us for hiding this from you.”

“Oh daddy, I know you both did this in my best interest though I do wish you will not hide anything from me anymore.”

Her fathers shifted and wished to all the old gods that somehow they would be able to find Shelby by the months end.

“I am slightly excited to meet my mother now, especially after my dream of her.” Rachel licked her lips and frowned at her parents. “I also have a very vague memory of running with someone, into the forest once but then the memory fades though it has never been as clear as now, I can almost recall-”

“That would be Quinn.” Hiram placed a hand on Rachel’s shoulder and squeezed. “We didn’t realize you had attempted to break our enchantments to shift with the youngest Fabray until your preschool teacher gave us one very hysterical phone call of losing students, when we found you two at the edge of Lima Park about to shift we had never been so relived in our lives. Sadly Mr. Fabray saw your daddy and recognized him for his Stained heritage and forbade us from ever approaching them and even stopped his daughter from being friends with you.”

“Hmmmph, the nerve of that monster.” LeRoy rolled his eyes dramatically then sighed. “Though I am very sorry that my presence caused such an ill effect on your relationship with a destined.”

“You have to know that was never our intent.” Hiram finished and gasped when Rachel wrapped them both into her arms.

“I am just glad that we are all together now and every worked out.”

Hiram and LeRoy were both cautious on feeling too comfortable in the current situation, they had to rush home and start preparations or they might never find Shelby.


	15. Caress

Title: Pact (15/?)

Author: Mina Robins

Fandom: Glee

Pairing: Brittana/Faberry, Faberrittana. Polyamorous.

Rating: T

Summary: Rachel stumbles into the underworld hidden beneath Lima's dull exterior when the slumbering genotypes in her DNA finally awaken and exert themselves. Thankfully her mates will help her navigate through the more dangerous paths she has to encounter.

…

After the Berry's had left, the four girls returned to Santana's room and settled down for bed since night was well underway. Santana sat at the edge of the plush divan with Rachel between her legs and a brush in her hand. It was relaxing to untangle Rachel's long chocolate tresses. 'I meant what I said before, you're part of my Pact, I feel it, we'll always keep you safe.'

Rachel remained silent for a moment and then turned her gaze up to Santana. 'What do I mean to you?'

"Everything." Santana gently caressed the shorter girl's cheek with the back of her fingers.

"Before all of this, before the chance event of me walking into the three of you about to-" Rachel looked away with a blush. "Mate, I was nobody to you, how can you be so sure."

Brittany and Quinn sauntered into the room freshly drenched in their unique flavours and moved to sit beside Rachel. Quinn's scent was overpoweringly sweet and the aroma that lingered in the air made Rachel shift uncomfortably as she felt her nipples harden and chafe even against her soft pajamas.

"Your abilities were awakened when you scented us about to mate, we were about to claim each other completely into a Pact, someone that has had their Shifter gift suppressed for so long could only ever be awakened by her Destined." Quinn placed a hand on Rachel's knee and caressed. "We are meant to be your Destined, do you deny the pull?"

Brittany whimpered and leaned down into Rachel's lap. The singer immediately threaded her fingers through the golden silk of her mate's hair. "No, of course not."

"What's the problem then?" Santana questioned a bit more forcefully this time. "Destiny can be crazy at times but this is right."

'What if our personalities do not meld well together?' What if my personality doesn't meld well?

"Oh Rachel." Brittany sat up and wrapped her arms around Rachel's neck. "I'm sorry if we were ever mean to you, but both me and Santy have always thought you were an amazing person."

"Just annoying." Santana laughed when Rachel glared up. "But very talented."

Quinn placed her hand on Rachel's cheek. "Do you remember when we were kids?"

"Vaguely." Rachel answered cryptically since hearing what her parents had revealed had sharpened up her memory of pretty much eloping with Quinn when they had been children.

"We were actually very close friends at one point but then something happened, my memory of it is fuzzy at best, perhaps you recall that we had left school?"

Rachel nodded. "Yes, and my fathers re-informed me of what had occurred, apparently I knew you were my Destined when we were young and had attempted to morph into my Shifter form with you away from school grounds."

"My father forbade me from being friends with you they found us after and I ended up being a huge bitch just to be near you." Quinn smiled faintly and her eyes held an regretfulness in them. "I wanted you to notice me so very bad; I think I would classify it as an tiny obsession."

"It's true, Q drew waaaay too many hearts around that picture she drew of you." Brittany supplied helpfully.

Quinn held her index finger in front of her lips in the universal sign for silence and a look in her eye that said don't-tell. "It was a caricature."

"D'aaawww, you drew hearts?" Rachel's eyes shone and she grinned coly at Quinn.

"I think I've been in love with you since we were kids." Quinn answered honestly and blushed when Rachel gave her a smile that made her insides melt. Rachel held out her hand and interlaced her fingers with Quinn's. The blonde grinned and kissed the back of Rachel's hand with reference and appreciated how easily Rachel found it in her heart forgive all the trespasses they had incurred on the starlet.

"See, you're totally meant to be here, Berry." Santana continue to run the brush through the shorter girl's mane. "Sandbox love never dies."

"Did you just quote Jennifer's Body?" Quinn raised an eyebrow. "I'm not judging, it's just, well yeah, I'm judging."

"It wasn't that bad of a movie, M-Fox is hawt."

Rachel tilted her head at the tallest blonde and shrugged. "I did enjoy her in Transformers."

"Booyah." Brittany held up her hand for a high-five which Rachel answered with a laugh.

'Though really Megan is nowhere as enticing as any one of you three. Oh my, forget that part, I did not mean to think that. I blame Quinn!'

"Hey!"

"Well, it is, I can scent you everywhere and it is making me feel very-" Rachel felt like if she didn't stripped off her panties now they were going to get soaked through, no one should ever be allowed to feel this turned on when no one had begun touching.

"Turned-on? Hot? Wet? Horny as a dandy?" Santana supplied with a purr.

"Arrgghhh, teach me how to turn it off!"

"I'm sorry Berry-Pie but we all feel like this cause Quinn is in heat and as her mates we want to mark her up since pretty much any available bi-pedal humanoid will want to get in on that."

"No, I want to address the constant broadcasting of my thoughts, it is supremely embarrassing."

"Don't forget about entertaining!" Brittany shook her head at Santana and the Latina relented.

"Rachel, look at me."

Rachel glanced up from her hands and blinked at Quinn. "I'm going to teach you how to start shielding your thoughts but first you must visual a sanctuary, think of a place that is your own, and you will hear us clearly so it may be a bit jarring."

"Very well." Rachel pressed her lips together in thought. "I think a theatre would be a good place."

"Alright, close your eyes." Quinn motions for Brittany and Santana to back away from touching any part of Rachel's body. "I want to you sense our thoughts, to feel us beside you, imagine you're seated in an amphitheatre and you have the best and only seat in the theatre but you're early and the place is empty at the moment."

"Alright." Rachel stills and leans back onto the bed and tries to imagine herself in the described location.

'You hear my voice now because I've entered the amphitheatre, because we are linked and you're safe with me here, your thoughts are the volume of your voice and your voice is very quiet because you allow me very close to you."

And Rachel could sense Quinn in a way, in her mind's eye Quinn's essence was so unique and strong. The warmth from the girl shimmered in soft iridescent colours and the smell of Columbine saturated the theatre. It was very disorientating to be suddenly surrounded by such a din of noises, it reminds Rachel of when she had just awoken on top of Quinn's bed. When her vision was too sharp and the world around her filled dangerously to the brim with stimuli.

Rachel imagined herself drawing together, her forehead against her knees, her breath shallow as she pressed her hands over her ears. The cacophony of voices was disorienting and it was disturbing to be bombarded with so much all at the same time. A warm, light touch causes Rachel's mind to blink up at her glowing Pactmates.

'As are Brittany and me, we are by your side so our voices are soft, our thoughts are quiet because you let us near you.'

"Brittany and I."

"What?"

"The proper grammatical-"

"Berry, you want to project your sexy thoughts all the time or learn to mute them?"

'Sorry.'

'No, that was good, it was a very small reply, now imagine that the theatre is your place and you wish for silence for the play is about to start, imagine distancing our essences from your thoughts, your mind.' Quinn continued, her tone calming and patient. 'This is your sanctum, your stage, imagine walking down to the stage and escorting us all from mind.'

'How do I escort you out?' Rachel thought of ushers in their classic red uniforms and suddenly she could see them, a horde of faceless genderless entities take shape from the shadows of her mind and immediately corral and push her mates to the furthest reaches of the theatre. They hold her mates against the doorless walls and contained them there with their sheer numbers.

"Stop!" Brittany moaned.

'Fuck! Berry, not so hard!' Santana held a hand up against her forehead as the pressure grew.

'Rachel! Please, imagine an entrance, we'll go out willingly, just-' Quinn backed away from Rachel as did the other cheerleaders, the physical distance in reality caused the shadow conscious to let up but not allow their mental forms them near Rachel's.

"I cannot hear your voices anymore!" Rachel panicked and jumped up from her spot on the carpet. "At least not clearly, there is so much noise but I can no longer distinguish words!"

"It's okay, close your eyes, your mind should recognize that we mean you no harm, we are your mates."

Rachel shuts her eyes and once again imagined her amphitheatre, before she could run towards the essences of her mates one of the entities resembling her shifted form comes into view, this usher wears nothing but fur. Her shifted state slams against the other shadow ushers and paces around her mates and bumps its body against their ethereal forms thus scenting them. Rachel pushes pass the shadow ushers and instructs them away. The ushers turn their featureless faces onto her for a moment before a growl from her shifted form causes them to disperse. Her shifted form remains close and lies next to her mates.

'Quinn, Brittany, Santana, are you okay, are we okay?'

'Yes, Berry-pie, holy hell you have one hell of a mental barrier.' Santana uses the heel of her hands to message against her temples. 'All I need is another headache.'

Brittany went up and rubbed Santana's back, her fingers automatically trailed over the scarred skin of where the poison had been so close in permanently damaging her lover.

'I am so sorry; I never meant to do any harm.' Rachel was in full panic mood, it was frightening to see herself cause harm to the people most dear to her.

Quinn took Rachel's hand in hers and squeezed. "You were amazing; I have never felt defence mechanisms so substantial."

"Should I have been able to cause pain like that?!" Rachel asked hysterically.

"You were defending your thoughts, with more training everything will work out just fine." Quinn motioned to Santana. "She's only feeling so overwhelmed because she won't participate in as many meditation sessions as Brittany and I."

"Are you alright though, you are not hurt?" Rachel walked over to Santana and placed her free hand over Brittany's. "Oh, Santana, are you okay."

Santana glanced up at the distraught faces of her mates and chewed on her cheek, the pain was fading fast. "Duh, you just startled me is all, I'm fine." She stood up and stretched with a smirk. "Good as new."

Rachel felt her lips tilt up into a smile and quickly wrapped her arms around Santana. The shorter girl ran her hands up and down Santana's back, she needed this closeness. It started out platonic but each time she found her hands closer to the other girl's toned ass.

She had all these urges and every time they danced with something dangerous, the emotions and need thrashed inside her. Feelings that instructed her to claim, mark and never let go. Rachel craved for more than all the casual touches, she wanted more skin from everyone. It was terribly distracting that she could feel a throbbing excitement heat up between her legs.

The singer trailed her hands underneath Santana's tank top and inched them up along skin that was impossibly soft. She felt Quinn and Brittany draw near and it suddenly made her doubt her ability to give as good as her mates could supply her. It didn't help that the nimble digits of the two cheerleaders caused her skin to instantly grow hot under their caresses and for her own scent to twine with her mates'. Rachel didn't want to disappoint with her lack lustre experience in the bedroom. Her spine to stiffen both from anxiety and then embarrassment for harbouring such feelings towards her mates. Thanking the gods that she could feel that her mates' were pushed far enough in her mind that they couldn't clearly hear her mental rumblings.

Santana who had been very well behaved for the most part of the night quirked an eyebrow at the bold then abruptly nervous Rachel. The Latina's emotions fluctuated from impatience for the carnal nature of feeding the need for her new mates' body to gentle cautiousness of wanting to savour and welcome Rachel's virginity to their bed. Unsure of how to proceed at first she had decided to allow her blondes to have a go at their little rabbit to loosen her up, but while the whole scene was a turn-on for Santana, it only seemed to make Rachel more nervous. Santana gripped onto the supple and tight derriere of one Rachel Berry, damn, those 6-am elliptical runs obviously were worth the time. Yes, she actually listened when Rachel went on rants about her exercise regime. Rachel stiffened and Santana scowled while trying to contain her pomegranate flavours from suffusing the room as well. Santana fell back so she was sitting on top of her bed and yanked Rachel down so she was seated on top of her thighs. She nuzzled her face into the back of Rachel's neck until the diva started to relax.

Starlet, it's okay Quinn pathed while pulling slightly away, hoping the familiar caress of her mind would ease the anxiety permeating from Rachel.

Brittany placed a comforting hand on Rachel's knee which only caused the shorter girl to squeak and cross her legs.

Both blondes shifted back and looked expectantly into each other's eyes for an idea.

"We don't have to do anything you don't want to engage in." Quinn said out loud, it was easier to hide the sadness Rachel's refusal caused while speaking since she could modulate her voice, since it was harder to hide her feelings if she had continued telepathically conversing with Rachel.

"No, that is not the issue…" Rachel sighed frustrated at her inability to please even though she had not even begun to touch her mates. "I just… I'm just worried that I will not be satisfactory addition to this." At the mention of "this" Rachel pointed at her three mates. "I do not wish to ruin anything…"

"Rach, we haven't kissed before so can we try that for a while?" Brittany questioned hesitantly, she could feel all the turmoil emanating from her mate and it made her heart throb uncomfortably, especially since those feelings were caused by the three of them.

Rolling her eyes affectionately at Rachel's lack of self-esteem in this department, especially since it has been near impossible to get the smaller girl to stop touching since the incident at the Fabray's house. I mean while they had been sleeping Rachel had all but molested her in their nap. Santana smiled mischievously and held out her hands to Brittany and Quinn.

"Come here," Santana winked at Rachel and proceeded to yank Quinn's body closer to her own to ravish the head cheerleader's lips. Brittany smiled indulgently at the familiar scene and leaned over to place an adoring kiss on the top of Santana's head for being so clever. The Latina grinned and turned to give Brittany the same amount of attention she had given Quinn and then drew back and gently nudged the two blondes together. "Give us a show, darlings."

The air was once again infused by the fragrance of their own unique flowers as Quinn and Brittany entangled together and laid claim to each other's lips. Quinn had her hands around Brittany's neck and fingers bunched into the long golden strands. The taller blonde was enthusiastically licking down Quinn's neck and rocked one of her legs between Quinn's. Quinn half moaned and mostly growled, euphoric that she might be gaining some kind of release. Being in heat made her constantly dripping wet and once she gets one orgasm she's making sure none of them were leaving the room for the rest of the week.

Rachel was absolutely transfixed by the two blondes in front of her. Santana was beneath her on the oversized plush bed, a Cheshire smile gracing her lips. The starlet would bet her collection of signed Barbra Streisand memorabilia that her mates were enjoying her crimson face way more than technically legal. Rachel felt her throat become parch and a whimper escaped her lips when Santana's hand began trailing up to caress the soft skin of Rachel's thighs, the singer automatically uncrossed her legs.

…

**Author's Note:**

> [Buy Me a Coffee?](https://ko-fi.com/A1464VTG)


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